If latest sales statistics are to be believed, virtual reality is indeed the next big thing in the tech market. Despite the fact that the platform is still in its infancy, sales output of the latest virtual reality headsets prove that consumers are well aware of it and are very much interested.
Taiwanese tech giant HTC revealed on Feb. 29 that is has sold more than 15,000 units of the HTC Vive virtual reality kits in the first 10 minutes after the company opened the preorder sale. What makes the sales statistics even more impressive is that the HTC Vive costs $800 and requires a powerful PC whose hardware specs will easily pick up a $1,000 price tag.
According to Engadget, HTC Vive kit includes the headset, two wand controllers, two room scale movement sensors and three Virtual Reality games and simulators.
HTC's figures are impressive. So is the attention that virtual reality is receiving. In fact investment giant Goldman Sachs predicts that the virtual reality market have the possibility to grow into a $110 billion market by 2020 along with the similar platform augmented reality which combines both digital environment with the real world.
First of all, HTC Vive is a PC peripheral which means it is not standalone device and it needs a desktop computer to fully run. The project was conceived through the partnership of HTC and Valve.
The HTC Vive is a headset that users have to wear over their eyes and ears. This allows users to experience a fully immersive virtual reality experience as if they are inside the game or a simulated experience.
What sets the HTC Vive from other virtual reality devices in the market is its extra sensors that allows the headset to track user movements around a room. This enhances the virtual reality experience by giving users the impression that they are in another place, a feature used by HTC as a main selling point for the Vive, according to Venture Beat.
HTC Vive is the second virtual reality gear to hit the market this year. In January, the Facebook-owned Oculus VR released its own virtual reality head-mounted display called the Oculus Rift. The Rift costs $600 and just like the HTC Vive it also requires a powerful desktop PC to render its virtual reality environment.