HTC Now Taking Pre-Orders for Wireless Vive Upgrade

Tired of that cumbersome cable between your VR headset and your PC? I have kinda gotten used to having it there, it’s just part of the process for now, but soon you may be able to cut loose thanks to a special upgrade kit from HTC.

A new pre-order has appeared on the Chinese site for HTC, coming from TPCast, one of their internal startups on their accelerator program, who has created a new clip-on device which you connect to your Vive, which then communicates wireless with your system.

According to Alvin W. Graylin, HTC’s Vive Chief in China, there is “no noticeable difference” when it comes to latency, which is obviously essential. The main issue will be battery life, expected to be around 1 to 1.5 hours, although a bigger add-on battery will be developed. This sounds a little clunky, but when it comes to VR, having that freedom of movement could be a big deal.

The device is up for pre-order at 1,499 yuan, and expected to ship in Q1 2017. No doubt if it proves popular, it’ll quickly ramp up for a global release.