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Availability:
Only 2 left in stock, order soon!
Arrives
Jun 16 – Jun 18
Features
- FLEXIBLE PLAY AREA - Use VIVE seated, standing or in a space up to 11'5" x 11'5". SteamVR Tracking provides the most ideal experience possible, so play the way that works for you.
- FULLY IMMERSIVE - Realistic movement and actions from precise, 360-degree controller and headset tracking with realistic graphics, directional audio and HD haptic feedback in the virtual world
- POWERED BY STEAM VR - Enjoy over 1500 games for SteamVR, plus everything you love about Steam, including new releases, automatic game updates and millions of your closest friends
- PLAY SAFER - The Chaperone system warns you when you reach the boundaries of your play area and the headset's front-facing camera gives you a glimpse of the real-world when you need it
- VIVE VIDEO - An immersive, cinematic VR video player for standard, 3D, 180 and 360 degree videos. Available free on VIVEPORT and Steam.
- VIVEPORT INFINITY Get 2 months of unlimited VR play of 700+ games & apps. Code included in box.
Description
VIVE gives you an unparalleled, true- to-life virtual reality experience. Using a headset and wireless controllers, you can explore and interact with VR experiences, apps and games that blur the line between imagination and reality. From AAA games to unforgettable experiences, there are over 2500 apps and games available for VIVE.Headset SpecsScreen: Dual AMOLED 3.6’’ diagonalResolution: 1080 x 1200 pixels per eye (2160 x 1200 pixels combined)Refresh rate: 90 HzField of view: 110 degreesSafety features: Chaperone play area boundaries and front-facing cameraSensors: SteamVR Tracking, G-sensor, gyroscope, proximityConnections: HDMI, USB 2.0, stereo 3.5 mm headphone jack, Power, BluetoothInput: Integrated microphoneEye Relief: Interpupillary distance and lens distance adjustmentController specsSensors: SteamVR TrackingInput: Multifunction trackpad, Grip buttons, dual-stage trigger, System button, Menu buttonUse per charge: Approx. 6 hoursConnections: Micro-USB charging port Buying Guide Is your current computer ready for virtual reality? Use the SteamVR Performance Test to check whether your system can handle the requirements of VR, and if not, whether its capabilities are bound by graphics card, CPU or both. Test your computer
Additional Features: Adjustable Headband
Connectivity Technology: HDMI, USB
Compatible Devices: Game Console
Specific Uses For Product: Gaming
Operating System: Windows
Field Of View: 110
Connector Type: 3.5mm Jack
Sensor Technology: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity
Battery Average Life: 6 Hours
Display Resolution Maximum: 2160x1200
Platform: SteamVR, Windows
Resolution: 2160 x 1200
Screen Size: 3.25 Inches
System Requirements: Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon R9 480, equivalent or better Processor Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350, equivalent or better Memory 4 GB or more Video Output HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2 or newer USB 1x USB 2.0 or better port OS Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1 or later
Display Type: OLED
Controller Type: Button Control
VR Operating Platform Compatibility: PC VR
Display Refresh Rate in Hertz: 60
Display Maximum Resolution: 2160 x 1200
Brand: HTC
Built-In Media: Headset, 2 x Controllers, 2 x Base Stations, Earbuds, Link Box, Link Box power adapter, Link Box mounting pad, 2 x Base Station power adapter, 2 x Micro USB chargers, Sync cable, HDMI cable, USB cable, Cleaning Cloth, Alternate face cushion
Age Range Description: Adult
Model Number: 99HALN002-00
UPC: 821793048037 821793050153 821793048853 821793051747
Global Trade Identification Number: 53
Manufacturer: HTC Virtual Reality System
Mfr Part Number: 99HALN002-00
Warranty Description: 30 DAYS
Item Type Name: HTC 99HALN002-00 Virtual Reality System
Item Dimensions D x W x H: 18.4"D x 13.1"W x 9"H
Item Weight: 11 Pounds
Color: black
Frequently asked questions
If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is:
Jun 16 – Jun 18
Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
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Top Amazon Reviews
Okay, if you haven't experienced virtual reality with an HTC Vive you really just don't know what you are missing. It is amazing, words fail me when I try to explain just how real it is, and how amazing it is. It is so real, and so immersive, when playing a game and walking up to a cliff, I feel a fear of falling, it is just that real. I can't bring myself to step over the edge of a cliff, even though I know I won't fall, I just can't do it. The display is just about perfect. Some people complain about the resolution, but I don't think there is anything wrong with it. I am sure you could make it more detailed, but for me it is already amazing. As for the controls and the interface, they work at real time. There is no perceivable delay between a movement in the real world, and motion in the game. The really cool thing is that the game will enhance the controller, adding buttons and information to them, that doesn't exist in reality. For example, the large round button on the wand, in some games this will turn into 4 buttons, and the battery meter will show up on the bottom of each controller, as with what hand they are, and these things are not really on there. As for the software, since this is partnered with Valve you know that you will never have an issue getting premium games and content. There is already a number of really cool games, and the system is relatively new. The headset is a little heavy, and when you really get into the game, and you start to sweat the headset will cause you to perspire. The cable is a bit of an issue. It is the only thing that breaks the immersion into the virtual reality for me. I have to keep thinking of the cable so that I don't trip over it, or pull it out of the PC. But, recently I bought a cable management system that has cables and pulleys, and it made a huge difference. The controls are intuitive, most games don't need any manual, just 30 seconds of a tutorial, and you are playing the game. Some of the coolest games, like the Lab, are totally free. Others are paid games, but most of them are totally worth it and really cool. Honestly, if you are on the fence about virtual reality, just go for it. I thought it was going to be cool, but I had no idea just how amazing this thing was going to be when I ordered it. It is like Virtual Reality from the movies, you won't believe how incredible it is when you try it. I just can't tell you how amazing it is, as you won't grasp it without trying. Yes, it is that good. Unlike some of the other systems, this one allows you to use a 15x15 foot room for your experience. Walking around and interacting with the virtual world. This system does not make me nauseus like the other systems do. It feels totally real, and totally immersed. In fact, real world feel strange after playing the system too long. It feels strange to grab something with your hands, after using the wands for a few hours. Pros: The best, by far, Virtual reality system available. Room scale, wireless wands, backed by valve. I really can't describe how amazing it is, I don't have the vocabulary to express it. Unless you try it, words will just not do it justice. Cons: Compared to the other systems out there, there are none. But, in a class of its own these are the cons that I have. The wire, this is an issue that you have to worry about tripping, etc. It pulls you out slightly from being totally immersed in the game. However, cable management systems are available on Amazon for very little money, and will pull the cable up over your head, solving the issue. The headset is a bit heavy, and gets hot when you are using it. Note: I had an issue with the headset not working, turning off mid-game, etc. Turned out to be the HDMI cable that was included with the system, it was not capable of the power needed to have the thing work, and would shut off. I switched to display port, and the issue has never come back. Others buy a much better, high end, HDMI cable, and the issue is resolved. This is an issue that seems to affect many people. This is the only issue that I have had, and it was a cable issue, not the Vive, so I won't list it as a CON, even though the cable in question was part of the HTC Vive kit. This thing is just so amazing, I can't bring myself to ding it with this cable issue. Just get it, don't think about it, you won't be sorry. This is the most amazing computer peripheral, feature, etc, that has EVER been made. This will change gaming forever. I used to think VR was just in the movies, and was never going to happen, well this changed my mind. There is no doubt this is the next big thing. Soon everyone will have VR, it will be as common as a scanner.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2017 by Adam White
I absolutely love this. Got to try this for the first time with my brother who has this same set. I was open to the new world of gaming and I have to say after 20 years of gaming, the things VR is capable of still leave me breathless. After experiencing it I wished to purchase one so I did. However, the set up I can see might overwhelm some people. Thankfully I have some knowledge of current technology but I can see where others might get frustrated. So consider this a PSA. For starters, it came with several cords. HDMIs, USBs, and AC adapters. It did NOT come with instructions. However either use of the internet and/or use of common sense, and a little bit of patience, this can be set up no problem. So the first thing you want to do is remove the controllers and the charging cables. (They come with USB AC adapters and there are 2 of them.) Plug them in on the bottom and they should light up that they are charging. Let them charge about 2 hours. Next, there will be a little box inside that should have two plug in sides to it. And they should be marked what side is what. One will connect to the computer and the other to the headset. This will require a power outlet. You’ll plug in the power on the box and connect the usb and HDMI provided into the box and the pc, the hdmi and usb attached to the headset will connect to the box. Just remember, the side that connects to power, is the side that connects to the computer. (This is just with patience and process and elimination.) Next you want to plot out where you are going to be playing this at. You’ll need adequate space. This set comes with 2 sensors that can be neatly attached to the wall or placed. I recommend mounting them (you’ll need screws, 4 to be exact, not included.) NOW THIS IS IMPORTANT: these sensors have to be able to visibly track the headset and the controllers. (Also, you’ll need close plug ins for both sensors. They have to have power, so make sure a wall outlet is close to where you put them.) If they are not, this system will not work. And you will see nothing and think, “oh I have a broken VR, great..” no this isn’t the case. This is probably the trickiest part to it. If you have a Steam account on PC you can go through Steam VR which is free. (not sure if it runs you through this or not after hookup, as I already had a Steam account and Steam VR.) Having this, will walk you through a tutorial on how to get the proper set up. This helped me tremendously as I had trouble getting the headset and controllers to be visible to the two sensors. Now you’ll want to pair the controllers to the PC which again, the Steam VR program is probably the best tool to help. It’ll walk you through a zone and test what kind and size play area for it. Just make sure you have adequate height when placing the sensors. It recommended a 6.5 feet up. After all of that. Maybe simple for some, maybe hair pulling for others, for me it was a little of both. I hope I have or will have helped someone get started with this. It’s great. You feel like your in it. It’s something new to me. Something not stale like normal video games are nowadays. And if you have the money, (which this is reasonably priced compared to some of the headsets out now) the patience, (easy or hard for some) the space, and your ready to take gaming to the next level, then I recommend this to you 100%. This is also great for parties and families alike. Basically a virtual reality Wii. And I really recommend using Steam since they have some free games for VR and some that are very cheap and sometimes on sale. So thank you for reading my one million word review. I hope it helps. Sorry for all the run on sentences. Lol. Enjoy!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2021 by Pinkguy93
I have owned the Vive now for about 4 months, and considering the price, it does indeed put somewhat of a dent in your wallet. That being the case, I went up and down the steam VR store searching for all the freebie VR apps and software that go with it. There is a lot of great freeware, such as Google Earth VR, and several other titles that give you some short films or animations that look really nice. However, it has only been in the last month or two where I've really gotten excited about the Vive, and when did this happen? When I finally decided to try some of the paid titles on steam, this is where the system really shines. Some titles I have that I love: AeroFly FS 2 Flight Simulator with VR built into the simulator, paired with a Thrustmaster HOTAS. This is a native VR program where you fly around California, Nevada, and Utah, with other expansions packs available. Verdict? Mindblowing, as you really feel you're in and flying a real plane. Lunar Flight, where you do missions on the moon, very difficult at first but very rewarding as you get better flying the moon module. Soundbox, AudioShield, and Holodance, where you punch different colored balls as they hurl toward you to just about any music you like, the whole point with these programs is they give you a great workout while having tons of fun. These applications are my most recent discovery and these alone are excuse enough to own the Vive, again, you can work up a real sweat while having a blast exercising. The Vive really shines too with some of the educational software, such as Titans of Space and Apollo 11. There are several other excellent titles too, where basically, you are flying in a space ship or craft of some sort and a narrated guide takes you on a tour of the solar system and many of the planets and its a fun way to learn, whether you are a child or adult. The only couple of reasons why I'd really like to fine tune my rating to 4.5 stars is Vive Customer service seems a little off, they gave me some promotional bonus for a free game(s) where the code didn't work and then went in circles trying to get it to work so I eventually gave up. Also, as some others have said, I wouldn't bother with the Vive store, knowing what I know now I'd just stick with getting my Vive games/programs from Steam. The other thing to be aware of is there is a screen door effect, so the graphics aren't as crisp as say, playing regular 2D games. I'm guessing in the next generation of VR hardware they'll be improving the clarity or crispness. Also, I don't have the latest and greatest Nvidea 1080 graphics card, though I do have the 1060 which I think is still pretty recent. Still, for the VR aspect, the system as a whole is well worth it to me and mindblowing. Finally, you might want to keep in mind that HTC is releasing a new Stand Alone VR headset, supposedly by or before the end of this year (2017) which will be self-contained so you don't need and expensive PC to run it. In conclusion, I have no regrets at all with the Vive and use it at least for a little while every day, so much to do and so much fun!
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Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2017 by DEE-DOR
Absolutely worst customer service i have ever encountered! First off, i was supposed to get Fallout 4 for free with my purchase. Nope... second off there is no phone number for Vive customer service. Only an online chat. Those people must be talking to 20 people at once because it takes forever for them to respond to you.. finally they told me after 40 minutes of waiting to connect to a rep and then having a convo im told to email there support line for assistance on my problem with not having received a code. Then after 2 days and i responded within 45 minutes of each email they sent on my phone. They told me they did t have a code for me because the experation date was march 31st and i bought mine on april first. I explained that it was advertised and furthermore there was no notice of expiration or fine print (i have photo evidence incase they requested to see it). Then i stopped getting responses. And recieved a survey which i explained this all here and said i would rethink my opinion if someone contacted me regarding my issue (maybe it was just the "lady" i emailed) 24 hours later i received another survey as if they closed my previous callback and wanted a follow up on the previous survey.... this is where i stand. The company took my money no problem but failed to admit their mistake and honor it. Now they are asking people to spend 800 dollars on just a headset? Not including new controllers or sensors that are to be released way later in n the year? They want to sell a bundle of a new headset and old hardware to clear their inventory before they release versions 2.0 of the new sensors and controllers.. they arent even budging on price for the old stuff and new headset. They just combined the two into a 1 click package. This company is all about money. They dont care how they get it and they dont care about their consumers. BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK, RESEARCH OTHER PEOPLES CUSTOMER SERVICE ENCOUNTERS BEFORE YOU INVEST. Seriously reddit is loaded with complaints and after mu experience i believe them 120%. Ohh and there seems to be a connection issue everytime i want to play. Idk if its the Vive, steam, or steam vr. Bluetooth didnt wanna connect for the longest time to my sensors, and the touch pads are crazy sensitive. Much rather have a stick and individual buttons. Lastly, the strap on yhe headset always feels like its not on my head all the way and its gonna fall off if i sneeze to hard. The rift felt much better and so does the PSVR. The strap stays above halfway on the back of your head. Im shocked, i had really high hopes for this system truly but my experience is just.. the worst experience ive ever had with a product that cost so much money and the customer service to resolve any issue. I dont say this lightly, im a pretty positive person and try to see the brighter side of things and have an understanding of the whats and whys of what goes on. But i simply cant be postivie about this product or company at all.. Update: i read some more reviews, and im shocked to find out that i was told March31st was the deadline but people are claiming that HTC also refused them as well for dates prior to what i was told. Now i know for a fact through my experience and past reviews this company plain out lies and deceives their customers! Even if the product was amazing, that right there stops me from wanting to keep it. God forbit i have an issue. Filing an RMA would be absolutely hell
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Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2018 by Just Another Nobody
I have watched VR videos on youtube for years and have always wanted to try it, and only now that I just turned 19 do I finally have enough of my own money to buy both the best VR headset on the market, and the best gaming computer on the market, with an RTX 2080ti, i7-8700k, Water Cooling, 32GBs of DDR4 RAM, and RGB lighting to top it off. All my VR games always run at max settings at over 60FPS with no stuttering. Besides my gaming PC, on the HTC Vive side of things, it really blew away my expectations. The two magnified eye glasses take up over 90% of my vision to the point where I honestly feel like I am in the gaming world! I remember that after setting everything up with the official HTC setup program, It took me into a vr hub for steam, which appeared to be the living area of a million dollar log mansion that was as real as life itself! Everything looked so smooth and incredibly detailed! The clarity is very clean, very smooth, the headset is very comfy, comes with comfy noise canceling earbuds that have a built in mic, the tracking of the controllers and my vision is so fast and precise that all my moves are instant and expressive, there is no lag whatsoever so I don't get motion sickness. Speaking of motion sickness, I underestimated how much I would be looking around in all my FPS and Casual games, I would end up turning around in one direction for too long and the cord for the headset would wrap me up like a mummy! And some of these FPS games move so fast that my body would feel like as if it was moving aswell and I would lose my balance a bit, but that taught me to slow down. Besides the small cons, In all honesty, the whole experience is insane and too breathtaking for me to be able to describe, you simply have to try it for your self and you too will be blown away. I'd very much recommend all gamers to buy this, especially if you want something new after feeling burnt out on your usual dozen games you play. I'd recommend to also get the wireless adapter, for only a few hundred more bucks you get total freedom without that mummy effect I was talking about, I'll be getting that very soon, I just blew my check on the VR headset and the last three months of my earnings on the pc lol. Oh also, the whole setup process is a bit of a task in itself lol, took me like an hour to take everything out, plug everything in, install the firmware, and get the vr system configured, but the experience is well worth it. Also as a fair warning, YOU WILL GET TIRED FAST! I played for barely two hours and was exhausted but yet so satisfied with the whole experience, a good weight loss routine to be honest! Also you don't need very much room to enjoy this, just so long as you can have enough room so you can hold your arms in all directions with a bit of leaning room aswell, you will be good. You can enjoy this standing up or sitting, but I'd very much recommend standing to be able to really feel like you're there. The benefits outway the cons 10:1, which is why the 5 stars stand. Slightly pricey for the average person sure, but there are unlimited experiences to explore.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2018 by William W.
I am absolutely stunned by how amazing VR is now that I own an HTC Vive. I had held off thinking that I might wait for the second generation of headsets to come out. I really wish I hadn't waited because the experience in VR on the HTC Vive in a Room Scale environment is beyond description. Watching videos of people playing VG games online pales in comparison to actually strapping it on and wandering around in VR. Don't wait any longer if you are still on the fence about moving into VR. I absolutely love the HTC Vive's quality and feel. The headset is very comfortable and smooth in play. I play for hours and don't have any comfort issues. My wife and son also play and there are no issues switching from user to user (although I do strongly recommend getting the Vive replacement face pads to swap out after a long sweaty game. They are machine washable and well worth it. I got the ones from HTC, (not third-party ones). Setup of the Vive was incredibly simple and before I knew it, I was in my new VR Room (Steam's VR Room). This was very cool and I still love going to the room to look around and play with furniture, decorations and gadgets there. The software installation experiences through Steam have been super simple and there are a number of great games to play with more being added monthly. Mounting the base stations (Lighthouses as they are referred to) was very simple. I set mine up in my basement so it was trivial to screw them into the exposed beams. For other rooms, it should be pretty simple to do. One can mount them into the walls or purchase the tall camera lighting stands to hold the base stations (1/4" screw base). If you do mount them to the wall, I suggest getting the plastic trim sold at places like Home Depot to put the power cables into so that you don't have black cords dangling down a while wall. My wife and I both agree that it would be hard to go back to playing conventional games on a display after experiencing life in VR on the Vive. I really am looking forward to seeing what Valve (Half-Life and Portal) puts out for VR. Apparently they have three different VR titles due out this year. As they made the Vive along with HTC, you know that they will put out some awesome exclusive titles. Some Suggestions: 1) Buy the HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap. It's' very comfortable, provides great sound and is very easy to adjust. Well worth the investment. 2) Buy some spare face pads. You WILL have others trying it out and you don't want to pass around the headset with wet, smelly face pads. Suggested Games (As of August 2017): The Lab (Free), RawData, Space Pirate Trainer, Brookhaven Experiment, Job Simulator, Google Earth VR (Free), Tilt Brush, Richie's Plank Experience & Vanishing Realms. Update September 01 2017: I am still absolutely loving playing video games again. I find myself looking forward to the end of the day so that I can slip on the Vive and enter new worlds. I have had no problems with the hardware. I really enjoy purchasing through Steam as I can try out a game and return it for a full refund if it isn't something I want to keep. The games continue to amaze me. It's funny when standing in VR, looking over the edge of a building, that you worry about falling over. It's very difficult convincing myself that I will not fall and get hurt (even though I KNOW I am in my basement!) I played a VR flight sim called VTOL VR and love the feeling of flying, being able to look all around myself while controlling the aircraft. I have a few other flight sim titles to try out which are much more realistic and can't wait to play them! Update: March 16 2018 (star rating changed from 5 to 3) I have absolutely loved my Vive! The games.. no, the experience continue to blow my mind and make it so very hard to go back to play conventional games on a flat monitor after experiencing VR. The Vive itself is an amazing platform to use. It is highly accurate for tracking, the view in the headset is great and the controllers work flawlessly. I reduced my star rating from 5 to 3 because of the exceptionally poor customer service. My controllers had an issue and needed to be sent in for repair under warranty. As of today, they have been in HTC's possession for 25 days. They sent me a link to check on the repair status and it has never been updated (it only says that the RMA number was issued). Every time I check with HTC via chat, I get the same story. They have the controllers and are waiting on parts. They "escalated" my case and all I got was an email saying that more people know about this but no other details (like an ETA perhaps?). So, because of this horrendous experience, I cannot leave a favorable star rating. I truly do love the Vive but if this is how they treat customers, you are far better off looking elsewhere. I will henceforth start recommending Oculus with the caveat that I do not know what customer experience is to be had from them but it can't possibly be worse than HTC for the Vive. Note: I'm not normally one to complain about customer service from a company and frequently did not worry too much about CS experiences mentioned by others. Having experienced truly crappy customer service, I was compelled to warn others.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2017 by D. Cormack
It's hard to do bulleted, concise reviews on something like this.. So this will be a little long winded. Stick with me if you can.. If you were like me, you might be a little hesitant about tech like this, because you tried a GEAR VR, or think 3d desktop gaming and 3d movies are kinda of cool, but certainly not worth this kind of investment. Get that out of your head right now. This is COMPLETELY different. First, let me say that I've never been a huge gamer. I've spent many more hours on my 10 year old Wii than I have on newly released console/computer games. I enjoy the interaction even if I'm sacrificing graphical beauty. This system is kind of like a 5th generation Wii. They are really selling the experience more than the graphics. And the experience is absolutely something to be had. Kind of like that first time you picked up that wii controller and "bowled" and thought "hey, this is pretty cool." but on a WHOLE new level. Once you complete the setup you'll enter the tutorial and blow up a balloon.. You'll (without instruction) think.. What happens if I try to hit this floating balloon.. Probably nothing.. but you'll immediately realize how intuitive and accurate this "new world" is when the balloon flies in the direction and velocity you would expect it to based on your hand movement. And sure there are similar capabilities on other consoles. You separate when you realize you can (literally) walk underneath the balloon, look up at it, jump and swat it down to the floor. then walk circles around it while unrelentingly taunting it for obeying physics. When you play "The lab" and your hand becomes a spaceship in a (truly) 3d realm, you'll really grasp what this thing is all about. I can't imagine how silly it looks in real life with your hand just jerking up and down, left to right, ducking, spinning.. etc. But in the game it really feels like you're in a serious situation and your hand needs to dodge these incoming blobs at all costs. The longbow game is fun. And you may realize that the controllers are giving haptic feedback when you "pull" the bowstring and release it to give it that additional sense of immersion. It's these seemingly small, polished edges that make this an incredible product. You WILL feel immersed. I 100 percent guarantee it. You'll laugh the first time you try to set your gun down on a table in the virtual world. The setup wasn't bad. Although I didn't find instructions included. I just googled it and followed the 10ish step process from HTC. Windows 7 wouldn't install the drivers for the "link box" until I put it into the USB 2.0 slots (as others have stated) - the directions state that it's compatible with 2.0+ though. Maybe in later versions of Windows, or perhaps my BIOS settings are "bad". Either way, simple fix. I had planned on using the single HDMI port that my GTX1060 has since I saw that some people had problems through other connections. The directions stated that you can use a display port to mini display port on the link box but I didn't try it. So that makes two display ports out. One to my tv/monitor, the other to my receiver which passes the video to a projector, and then the HDMI to the Vive headset. All very seamless. When you get to the point of powering on all your components (for the first time) you might need to right click one of the controllers in the steam VR window and click "pair controller" (if the controller shows blue when it comes on instead of green). The walkthrough failed to mention that. The Steam VR software is very polished as well. Especially inside of VR. You can switch to your desktop and read email. When I realized that I could walk closer to my boundary wall that the desktop was on at that time, and the text got closer/clearer, it was an additional level of "that's friggin cool." This is NOT for reading text like that though. The resolution just isn't there. Once you've got a Steam account set up, be careful, it's easy to blow through 80 dollars (of real money) in a 4 minute virtual shopping spree. You can connect your phone via Bluetooth and get notifications. You can enable the camera and see the room without taking the headset off. Plug in ear buds and "mirror" the sound so you can rock out hard to audioshield without waking the neighbors. You can control pretty much all of the aspects of the virtual world from your 2d monitor. That comes in handy If someone new is using the headset. So you can control the session for them (get them into a game, get them started, etc) without having to walk them through everything - but again, it is pretty intuitive and should be easy to pick up for 90 percent of people. There are just a lot of features that you can tell they put thought into. Some complain that a lot of the games are "demo" types, and while that's true. There are several "full" games available, and I haven't even gotten to them, because The Lab, Zombie Trainer, The Brookhaven Experiment, and (especially) AudioShield have me completely satisfied for the time being. We're all still waiting on the "major" releases of Doom, Fallout 4, Serious Sam, Arizona Sunshine etc. I am curious how games like Serious Sam will work. You're going to break yourself if you're constantly spinning around trying to fend off hordes of suiciders. The action of "teleporting" in large scale games seems to be the goto method for moving around in the world. It's not as intuitive as I'd like and it takes a split second to load the new landscape when you arrive, so it's a little offputting. But that's splitting hairs at this point. I just feel like it's going to be exaggerated when you're in a true "sandbox" world. There are a few cons. 1. You're going to have a tough time doing true multiplayer with this. You can't just buy another 30 dollar controller and go to town with your friend sitting on the couch next to you. You're looking at another large investment and the space to set up another system. I'm interested to see how games like "Don't stop talking and nobody explodes" work and bring a "crowd" together with one headset. But it's probably not going to be the excitement of being (virtually) back to back with a buddy fighting the terrorists in a FPS. 2. I hope your friends don't mind swapping a large amount of face sweat. 3. The resolution just isn't what it is on a LED monitor. Obviously you're stretching that image out over a 360 degree 3d environment so it's a little tougher to do. So.. Again, you're not doing this for the "crispness". You're doing it for the experience. When you feel like a freaking rockstar defending yourself from incoming musical notes, you won't be thinking about the slight pixilation, or how the graphics in the background aren't super detailed. I PROMISE. 4. I find it a little bit of a pain to get the headset just right on my head. You need to get the straps perfect (not too tight, or loose) to make the area right in front of your face perfectly clear (especially when you're looking down). 5. I don't think the screens are quite big enough. You will probably notice the black ring around the outside of your vision when you're waiting for a game to load or whatever. You'll forget about it as soon as you're doing whatever. 6. I am seriously matting down the new carpet inside of my "game area." 7. You might think that the real world is less fun. Keep in mind.. That while the software is pretty polished and works well, this type of thing probably isn't for someone who isn't at least a moderate "power user." I've had some minor issues like weird Steam crashes, VR world disappearing if the CPU is under a lot of stress, computer not completing POST when the link box was plugged in. Just stuff that you wouldn't deal with on a console type system. This "limitation" (not the price) is probably why the world isn't screaming about this from the rooftops. The mass population isn't exactly tech savvy so that excludes a major percentage of potential buyers. All that said.... Honestly, I've got a lot of cool stuff but this is ABSOLUTELY and UNEQUIVOCALLY the coolest tech I've seen or played with in my entire life. I would still be happy with it if I would've needed to fork out an additonal 800 or so to build a computer. Everytime I'm away from it for a day or so, I think "was it really THAT cool?" and I answer my question as soon as I put the headset back on and enter a virtual world for what feels like the first time, every time.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2016 by Chris
This really is a great gadget for anyone that loves PC gaming. I won't delve into everything that is great about it; just give out some technical implementation and trouble information with the HTC Vive: First, the tracking sensors can be touchy. I highly recommend testing the location you pick out on the walls for mounting before actually mounting. Things like reaching up to adjust the headset with your hands and arms can and will cause sudden loss of tracking. Sometimes, when seated, and turning your head, you can get glitchy tracking results and the headset view will seem to jump around as the system reacquires tracking. This effect is similar to XBox Kinect where it cannot tell the difference between one of your arms and body, or your left from right arm. So for a split second it reports bad information to the game and there is a sudden jerking movement. This happens with the HTC Vive as the headset is facing in a semi-perpendicular direction to the "plane" of the two trackers facing each other, but the tracker facing direction and the location of the trackers make a huge difference in this. If you are close to one and far from the other tracker, it is more likely to happen. If your seated play area, like your desktop for playing seated game, is in the 'corner' of the overall play area, you are probably going to see this. If your desktop is in the middle of the rectangular play area (whose house is setup like this??), then you probably will never see this problem. Second, I have seen a lot written about the screen-door effect and how bad it is or if it is noticeable, bothersome, etc. Yes, there is a screen-door effect. Yes, it is bothersome for some games. Mainly, it is troublesome for games that were not made for the HTC Vive or VR specifically. A few good examples are Elite Dangerous and DCS World. Both of these games suffer from issues with the screen-door effect, where text displayed on the screen is simply not legible. In DCS World, you can see the HUD on the A-10C OK, but you cannot make out any of the information displayed on the HUD that is text. In Elite Dangerous, text displayed in menus, targeted ships, and around the HUD in general is difficult to read. In games where the design of the game has VR specifically in mind, the developers obviously make the text much larger and easier to read. If the screen-door effect was not present, the small text might be difficult to read, but not impossible. Most games built for VR don't have the legibility problem, because of the way they are designed. Third, Steam VR is not mature. There are numerous quirks and issues with operating in a mixed VR/Non-VR environment. For example, programming keyboard/joystick/controller options in a game where you need to see/use the keyboard/mouse can be a frustrating experience. Steam seems to allow launching some VR enabled games in a non-VR mode, however, even if you select this option in DCS World and Elite Dangerous, Steam VR launches and uses the headset. I have not found a way to bypass this, but I'm still working on this. Anyway, setting up a joystick for a game where you you might need to look at outside of the 'virtual world' is a mess. Usually, you end up taking on and putting back on the headset repeatedly, it is a chore. There are games where the developer has done a good job for making a setup interface work in VR (e.g. Lunar Flight, a really first class VR in-game controller setup). Another issue is that you may launch a game outside VR via the Steam application, put your headset one and discover that although you can see the game in VR just fine, nothing works. This is usually caused by the game on the Windows desktop not having focus (click on it with the mouse to get focus). It's weird, and it is not intuitive. A few other annoyances are having to adjust and re-adjust the motion tracking sensor directions and re-run the room setup frequently. The chaperone (basically an in-game grid when you get too close to the defined play-area boundary) seems to appear when I'm not really that close to a boundary. Cable management; keeping from getting tangled up or stepping all over the cables in a standing/moving VR game. Adjusting and readjusting the headset position on your face all of the time, slight changes in position, change the center of focus. Everything in the peripheral part of the view (not straight ahead) is progressively blurred and has extreme chromatic aberration (Red/Green/Blue divergence). Some VR games have altered some internal brightness/contrast/color controls, affecting the headset even after exiting the game. To resolve this, you must shut the headset down completely and restart it, this is annoying. Not annoying but interesting: Everything displayed that is designed for VR is in stereoscopic 3D and the effect is really very cool. The 90Hz scan rate is halved to 45 for this 3D, so the max FPS displayed is 45fps. This is generally not a problem. Overall, this is a great experience and worth buying into. I imagine that followup generations of this VR technology will be lighter on the head and present a better VR display, as well as being less quirky to setup and use. VR is definitely going to be the future, despite all of the naysayers. It will take time, but in ten years, VR is where first person gaming will be focused.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2017 by Brian J. Mcmahon