HTC Vive is the creme de la creme of the VR headsets available in the market. Should you buy one? Is it worth it?
If you want the premium quality VR experience which will make you forget the real world then the HTC Vive is the perfect choice for you. The only barrier that might be between you and this high-quality VR headset is the price tag, so let’s break down the specifications to see if it is really worth it or not!
Specifications of the HTC Vive
Refresh Rate: 90 Hz
Dedicated website: SteamVR
Field of View: 110 degrees
Tracking Area: 2 x 2 meter
Ports required for Connections: HDMI, USB 2.0, USB 3.0
Controller: Vive Controller or a Bluetooth gamepad
PC/ Laptop Requirements:
1. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or greater(Check out few VR ready gaming laptops here), AMD Radeon RX 480 equivalent or greater
2.Intel Core i5-4590 equivalent or greater4GB+ of RAM, Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output, USB 2.0 port, Windows 7 or greater
3. 4GB+ of RAM, Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output, and USB 2.0 port
4. Windows 7 or greater
Features: Built-in audio and mic
Price: $799
Amazon Ratings: 4.5/5 (Customer Reviews)
Reasons to Love the Vive
1. HTC Vive is one of the best VR headsets available in the market and even though it is on the top of the list and pretty expensive, the quality of VR provided by this headset is excellent. There is simply no other VR headset other than the Oculus Rift which can compete with the quality of Virtual Reality provided by this VR headset.
2. The touch controllers included in the Vive makes the VR experience very interactive. This means that you can interact with the objects in a VR game and that makes the entire experience more immersive. However, the new Oculus Touch is the talk of the town but HTC Vive had already included it’s touch controllers long back.
3. The Vive has a great field of view of 110 degrees which is pretty impressive for any VR headset. The quality of VR is pretty amazing as well and if you plan on using this VR headset then you would not be disappointed in any way.
4. The setup can be a little time consuming, however, following the instruction properly and being a little patient can help. There might be a couple of downloads and registration that you need to do before you think you are done.
5. It has the best one to one movement tracking through which movement feels almost natural and it is a pure VR bliss to be in one of those scenarios. The movement tracking on the Vive is excellent and one of a kind.
6. It comes with two tracking cameras that will track your movements in the VR world and that does require quite a bit of space. If you have a big enough room with a few things that would hinder your gameplay then you should definitely go for setting up the Vive in that room.
Setbacks
1. The Vive requires some considerable amount of room space so it is necessary that you have some room space dedicated for VR gaming because in the case of a constricted room space you might just end up hitting you hands on the furniture or the wall.
2. The Vive will take a few sockets as well (around 3) and if you do not have the area unorganized it might lead to a big mess with all the wires around you. It is preferable to have more space in order to avoid any kind of hassle during the setup and gaming.
3. It may have a few glitches here and there but it is definitely not a deal breaker and you can easily say that it is one of the best VR headsets that you have in the market apart from the Oculus Rift. Setting up can be a little annoying but it is the one-time thing and once you are done with it all you need to do is switch ON the Vive and play the titles.
4. Do not forget about the beefy specifications that you need in order to play the titles on the Vive. It is extremely important that you have a PC with all the needed specifications as mentioned above else there would be a lag in the gameplay and you would often suffer from screen tearing and other annoying issues.
Gameplay on the Vive
You can spend hours and hours together playing on the Vive. It is one of the best VR headset investments one could possibly make. There are a bunch of games on the Steam and you could buy them anytime. There are game titles that are addictive and if asked to compare with the Oculus games, I think Vive isn’t far behind, Vive does have a varied collection of games and none of them are disappointing.
The weight of the VR headset is around 555 grams which might sound a little heavy but honestly, I have had no issues playing with it and it has been a fun experience.You aren’t going to face too many problems with the weight of this headset and I did try this on my nephew and he too wasn’t complaining about the weight of this headset. So, I don’t think the size of headset should be a deal breaker.
The touch controllers let you interact with every aspect of the game and it is the best controllers one could possibly ask for to be coupled with the Vive. The controllers have a perfect grip and they are light in weight.
Bottomline
The Vive is one of the best VR headsets in the market and you are not going to be disappointed in any way if you go ahead and buy the Vive VR headset. One of the most important aspects that are required to run this VR headset is a VR ready gaming laptop.
Your laptop or PC needs to have the much-needed specs which will pump in the required power in the hardware of your laptop to run the VR headset. This is a requirement which is mandatory to both the VR headsets i.e. the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
In the case you have any other questions or queries, leave them in the comment section below. If you have any stories with your Vive VR headset then feel free to share them as well.
What do you think, are you going to get a Vive? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below and if you liked it then do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
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