The HTC Vive Cosmos could elevate high-end VR to new heights
There's a lot to like, but also plenty left unknown
HTC’s Vive has represented the highest end of the consumer virtual reality spectrum thus far, beating the early Oculus Rift experience for sheer expansiveness and immersion. Is the HTC Vive Cosmos the next big step for premium-quality VR? We’re honestly not sure! Announced at HTC’s CES event, the Vive Cosmos isn’t a replacement for the Vive Pro, but rather a different approach: it has inside-out tracking via cameras on the headset, so it doesn’t need external trackers for room-scale VR, and the controllers offer immersive six-degrees-of-freedom movement. It’s thethered to and powered by a PC, so it’s not standalone… but HTC has also teased the ability to use it with a smartphone instead, which is unexpected. And what’s this about modular upgrades? Look, there are still some key questions here, and expectedly, price and release date are still TBD. Development kits are expected to roll out soon, however, and we’re excited to hear more about what HTC is cooking up this time around.
Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 
