Bsimracing Sim Racing Resources and News for the racing enthousiast.
For sim racers who have been waiting for the next VR headset with bumped up resolution, HTC might have the answer. That said, you will already have to own, or find an available graphics card that can run this new beast. With the current limited stock issues and the insane prices within the graphics card market, for many users out there this new HMD somewhat comes at the worst time possible.
Back in 2018, HTC launched its Vive Pro VR headset. Now the Taiwanese consumer electronics company introduced the Vive Pro 2. In comparison with its predecessor, this new high-end consumer HMD features a substantial resolution increase and a wider field of view upgrade.
While externally, the Vive 2 Pro looks the same as its predecessor, the internals are a whole new ballgame. HTC moved away from using OLED screens and replaced them with Dual RGB low persistence LCDs. For some that might sound like a step backward, but it does make sense when you take a look at the price versus specs.
While the OLED screens of the Vive Pro featured 2.3MP (1,440 × 1,600) per eye, the LCD screens of the Vive Pro 2 increased the resolution to a very impressive 6.0MP, which is 2,448 × 2,448 pixels per eye. This is currently beating the previous king of resolution, which is the HP Reverb G2 with its 4.7MP (2,160 × 2,160 pixels per eye) ( Arguably, there are a few headsets on the market with even higher resolutions, but they can hardly be considered consumer products, or are not release worthy as a full-featured product.
Also the maximum refresh rate has been upgraded, as the original 90Hz is now bumped up to 120Hz. Furthemore, a new lens design has resulted in a 120° field-of-view, which is an increase of 10° over the older Vive Pro.
While a higher resolution sounds fantastic, it also has its drawback. Users will need a pretty beefy PC to push all those pixels. To somewhat reduce the load, HTC has implemented DSC (Display Stream Compression) developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). This technology is a form of visually lossless compression for ultra high definition displays to reduce the bandwidth demand. This way, the Vive Pro 2 is capable of handling 719MP per second via a DisplayPort 1.2. A DisplayPort 1.4 or higher with DSC is required to run in Full Resolution mode.
And there is more good news. While the Vive Pro 2 doesn’t feature inside-out tracking, and therefore has to rely on base station lighthouses for tracking, owners of the older Vive headsets, and the Valve Index will be able to keep using their original controllers and Base-Stations, which makes this HMD upgrade a well-worth investment.
The headset-only version of Vive Pro 2 will be available starting June 3rd and will have a price of €819.00. Currently, HTC runs a 60€ discount for Pre-Orders. The Vive Pro 2 full kit including the Vive controllers, and base stations, will become available in July and will retail for €1399.00.
Official Webpage – www.vive.com
Specifications:
- Screens: Dual RGB low persistence LCD
- Resolution: 2448 × 2448 pixels per eye (4896 x 2448 pixels combined)
- Refresh Rate: 90/120 Hz (only 90Hz supported via VIVE Wireless Adapter)
- Field of View: Up to 120 degrees
- Audio: Hi-Res certified headset (via USB-C analog signal)
Hi-Res certified headphones (removable)
High impedance headphones support (via USB-C analog signal) - Inputs: Integrated dual microphones
- Connections: Bluetooth, USB-C port for peripherals
- Sensors: G-sensor, gyroscope, proximity, IPD sensor, SteamVR Tracking V2.0 (compatible with SteamVR 1.0 and 2.0 base stations)
- Ergonomics:
- Eye relief with lens distance adjustment
- Adjustable IPD
- Adjustable headphones
- Adjustable head strap
