The HTC Vive Cosmos is set to launch on the 3rd of October, and the headset is available for pre-order today. In the months leading up to this anticipated announcement from one of the biggest VR companies, there was speculation about what this headset would feature exactly. It was told by HTC that the headset would be able to detach the faceplate, add multiple ways of tracking, and even go wireless while being connected to a mobile device.
Not all of them have been announced yet, but it is pretty close to the real deal. Below we will include the official specs of the headset, and go over what the ending points mean for the future of HTC and the Cosmos headset.
- Screen: Dual 3.4″ LCD diagonal
- Resolution: 1440 x 1700 pixels per eye (2880 x 1700 pixels combined)
- Refresh rate: 90 Hz
- Field of view: 110 degrees
- IPD Adjustment: hardware
- Audio: Built-in stereo headphones
- Flip-up design: yes
- Controllers: Two inside-out tracked controllers, with 1 Thumbstick, 3 Buttons, 2 Index finger triggers, 1 Middle finger trigger
- Required PC connectivity: USB 3.0, DisplayPort™ 1.2
- Peripheral Ports: USB-C 3.0, proprietary connection to mods
- Tracking: inside-out, with 6 RGB cameras (4 on the device, 2 on an additional faceplate). No minimum space requirements for standing/seated, minimum 2m x 1.5m for room-scale mode
- Module Faceplates: Vive Motion Mod (Ships with Cosmos) and Vive Cosmos External Tracking Mod (Sold separately)
- Vive Wireless Adapter support: Yes, sold separately with attach kit. Available PCIe slot required
As you read in the second to last point, there is a Cosmos external tracking mod. This is going to be connected to the front of the additional faceplate, and give the Steam tracking stations something to hold on to. This is a great idea, as there is a mass of people that don’t believe inside-out tracking is a smart idea, especially on a headset of this caliber and price. Inside-out tracking doesn’t necessarily make the headset much better, and setting up external tracking is not that big of a hassle. The Valve Index proved that you can still have a top of the line headset while featuring external tracking.
There is also a wireless mod that is sold separately for the Vive Cosmos as well. This will give you the ability to be completely wire-free, and have no physical connection to your PC while you are still harnessing the power of the impressive machine. If you are wanting to enable this fantastic feature on your headset, you will need the additional faceplate, and the older Vive controllers. The only time that the new Cosmos controllers are going to be compatible is when the headset is connected to the PC and working with the inside-out tracking.
It is somewhat surprising to see the newest controllers have the least amount of compatibility. They should be connecting with everything in sight, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. They are exclusive to one function, and you just hate to see it. You will be able to use the Valve controllers with the Cosmos, but that isn’t the sort of thing you want to be promoting with the headset not even launched yet.
HTC says they are planning on releasing more modular modifications for the Vive Cosmos in the future, but for now, those are the only that have been mentioned or released. Hopefully, in the future, we can see HTC take a step forward with this hardware and improving upon it with extraordinary mods. For more VR news and hardware reviews, make sure to check back at VRGear.com.
