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HTC

HTC America Vive Virtual Reality System

Based on 3,225 reviews
Condition: Used - Good
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$370.00
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At a glance

Condition
Used - Good
Model
99HALN002-00
Screen size
3.25 in
Dimensions
18.4"D x 13.1"W x 9"H
Weight
11 lb
Color
black
Additional Features
Adjustable Headband
Warranty
30 DAYS
Works with
Game Console

Features 6

  • FLEXIBLE PLAY AREA - Use VIVE seated, standing or in a space up to 11'5" x 11'5". SteamVR Tracking provides the most ideal experience possible, so play the way that works for you.
  • FULLY IMMERSIVE - Realistic movement and actions from precise, 360-degree controller and headset tracking with realistic graphics, directional audio and HD haptic feedback in the virtual world
  • POWERED BY STEAM VR - Enjoy over 1500 games for SteamVR, plus everything you love about Steam, including new releases, automatic game updates and millions of your closest friends
  • PLAY SAFER - The Chaperone system warns you when you reach the boundaries of your play area and the headset's front-facing camera gives you a glimpse of the real-world when you need it

Description

VIVE gives you an unparalleled, true- to-life virtual reality experience. Using a headset and wireless controllers, you can explore and interact with VR experiences, apps and games that blur the line between imagination and reality. From AAA games to unforgettable experiences, there are over 2500 apps and games available for VIVE.Headset SpecsScreen: Dual AMOLED 3.6’’ diagonalResolution: 1080 x 1200 pixels per eye (2160 x 1200 pixels combined)Refresh rate: 90 HzField of view: 110 degreesSafety features: Chaperone play area boundaries and front-facing cameraSensors: SteamVR Tracking, G-sensor, gyroscope, proximityConnections: HDMI, USB 2.0, stereo 3.5 mm headphone jack, Power, BluetoothInput: Integrated microphoneEye Relief: Interpupillary distance and lens distance adjustmentController specsSensors: SteamVR TrackingInput: Multifunction trackpad, Grip buttons, dual-stage trigger, System button, Menu buttonUse per charge: Approx. 6 hoursConnections: Micro-USB charging port Buying Guide Is your current computer ready for virtual reality? Use the SteamVR Performance Test to check whether your system can handle the requirements of VR, and if not, whether its capabilities are bound by graphics card, CPU or both. Test your computer

Specs 31

Additional Features Adjustable Headband
Connectivity Technology HDMI, USB
Specific Uses For Product Gaming
Operating System Windows
Field Of View 110
Connector Type 3.5mm Jack
Sensor Technology Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity
Battery Average Life 6 hours

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Top Amazon Reviews

Regardless of cost, you will absolutely love this. Let me explain why.
It's hard to do bulleted, concise reviews on something like this.. So this will be a little long winded. Stick with me if you can.. If you were like me, you might be a little hesitant about tech like this, because you tried a GEAR VR, or think 3d desktop gaming and 3d movies are kinda of cool, but certainly not worth this kind of investment. Get that out of your head right now. This is COMPLETELY different. First, let me say that I've never been a huge gamer. I've spent many more hours on my 10 year old Wii than I have on newly released console/computer games. I enjoy the interaction even if I'm sacrificing graphical beauty. This system is kind of like a 5th generation Wii. They are really selling the experience more than the graphics. And the experience is absolutely something to be had. Kind of like that first time you picked up that wii controller and "bowled" and thought "hey, this is pretty cool." but on a WHOLE new level. Once you complete the setup you'll enter the tutorial and blow up a balloon.. You'll (without instruction) think.. What happens if I try to hit this floating balloon.. Probably nothing.. but you'll immediately realize how intuitive and accurate this "new world" is when the balloon flies in the direction and velocity you would expect it to based on your hand movement. And sure there are similar capabilities on other consoles. You separate when you realize you can (literally) walk underneath the balloon, look up at it, jump and swat it down to the floor. then walk circles around it while unrelentingly taunting it for obeying physics. When you play "The lab" and your hand becomes a spaceship in a (truly) 3d realm, you'll really grasp what this thing is all about. I can't imagine how silly it looks in real life with your hand just jerking up and down, left to right, ducking, spinning.. etc. But in the game it really feels like you're in a serious situation and your hand needs to dodge these incoming blobs at all costs. The longbow game is fun. And you may realize that the controllers are giving haptic feedback when you "pull" the bowstring and release it to give it that additional sense of immersion. It's these seemingly small, polished edges that make this an incredible product. You WILL feel immersed. I 100 percent guarantee it. You'll laugh the first time you try to set your gun down on a table in the virtual world. The setup wasn't bad. Although I didn't find instructions included. I just googled it and followed the 10ish step process from HTC. Windows 7 wouldn't install the drivers for the "link box" until I put it into the USB 2.0 slots (as others have stated) - the directions state that it's compatible with 2.0+ though. Maybe in later versions of Windows, or perhaps my BIOS settings are "bad". Either way, simple fix. I had planned on using the single HDMI port that my GTX1060 has since I saw that some people had problems through other connections. The directions stated that you can use a display port to mini display port on the link box but I didn't try it. So that makes two display ports out. One to my tv/monitor, the other to my receiver which passes the video to a projector, and then the HDMI to the Vive headset. All very seamless. When you get to the point of powering on all your components (for the first time) you might need to right click one of the controllers in the steam VR window and click "pair controller" (if the controller shows blue when it comes on instead of green). The walkthrough failed to mention that. The Steam VR software is very polished as well. Especially inside of VR. You can switch to your desktop and read email. When I realized that I could walk closer to my boundary wall that the desktop was on at that time, and the text got closer/clearer, it was an additional level of "that's friggin cool." This is NOT for reading text like that though. The resolution just isn't there. Once you've got a Steam account set up, be careful, it's easy to blow through 80 dollars (of real money) in a 4 minute virtual shopping spree. You can connect your phone via Bluetooth and get notifications. You can enable the camera and see the room without taking the headset off. Plug in ear buds and "mirror" the sound so you can rock out hard to audioshield without waking the neighbors. You can control pretty much all of the aspects of the virtual world from your 2d monitor. That comes in handy If someone new is using the headset. So you can control the session for them (get them into a game, get them started, etc) without having to walk them through everything - but again, it is pretty intuitive and should be easy to pick up for 90 percent of people. There are just a lot of features that you can tell they put thought into. Some complain that a lot of the games are "demo" types, and while that's true. There are several "full" games available, and I haven't even gotten to them, because The Lab, Zombie Trainer, The Brookhaven Experiment, and (especially) AudioShield have me completely satisfied for the time being. We're all still waiting on the "major" releases of Doom, Fallout 4, Serious Sam, Arizona Sunshine etc. I am curious how games like Serious Sam will work. You're going to break yourself if you're constantly spinning around trying to fend off hordes of suiciders. The action of "teleporting" in large scale games seems to be the goto method for moving around in the world. It's not as intuitive as I'd like and it takes a split second to load the new landscape when you arrive, so it's a little offputting. But that's splitting hairs at this point. I just feel like it's going to be exaggerated when you're in a true "sandbox" world. There are a few cons. 1. You're going to have a tough time doing true multiplayer with this. You can't just buy another 30 dollar controller and go to town with your friend sitting on the couch next to you. You're looking at another large investment and the space to set up another system. I'm interested to see how games like "Don't stop talking and nobody explodes" work and bring a "crowd" together with one headset. But it's probably not going to be the excitement of being (virtually) back to back with a buddy fighting the terrorists in a FPS. 2. I hope your friends don't mind swapping a large amount of face sweat. 3. The resolution just isn't what it is on a LED monitor. Obviously you're stretching that image out over a 360 degree 3d environment so it's a little tougher to do. So.. Again, you're not doing this for the "crispness". You're doing it for the experience. When you feel like a freaking rockstar defending yourself from incoming musical notes, you won't be thinking about the slight pixilation, or how the graphics in the background aren't super detailed. I PROMISE. 4. I find it a little bit of a pain to get the headset just right on my head. You need to get the straps perfect (not too tight, or loose) to make the area right in front of your face perfectly clear (especially when you're looking down). 5. I don't think the screens are quite big enough. You will probably notice the black ring around the outside of your vision when you're waiting for a game to load or whatever. You'll forget about it as soon as you're doing whatever. 6. I am seriously matting down the new carpet inside of my "game area." 7. You might think that the real world is less fun. Keep in mind.. That while the software is pretty polished and works well, this type of thing probably isn't for someone who isn't at least a moderate "power user." I've had some minor issues like weird Steam crashes, VR world disappearing if the CPU is under a lot of stress, computer not completing POST when the link box was plugged in. Just stuff that you wouldn't deal with on a console type system. This "limitation" (not the price) is probably why the world isn't screaming about this from the rooftops. The mass population isn't exactly tech savvy so that excludes a major percentage of potential buyers. All that said.... Honestly, I've got a lot of cool stuff but this is ABSOLUTELY and UNEQUIVOCALLY the coolest tech I've seen or played with in my entire life. I would still be happy with it if I would've needed to fork out an additonal 800 or so to build a computer. Everytime I'm away from it for a day or so, I think "was it really THAT cool?" and I answer my question as soon as I put the headset back on and enter a virtual world for what feels like the first time, every time. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2016 by Chris
PC's largest technology leap in decades. This devices innovation will shape the future of VR and our world.
Review Image by Shawn David Stone
Review Image by Shawn David Stone
Review Image by Shawn David Stone
Review Image by Shawn David Stone
Review Image by Shawn David Stone
Review Image by Shawn David Stone
TL:DR- 1) If you own a VR capable PC 2) Are comfortable troubleshooting basic PC/peripheral device issues 3) Are willing to do a bit of research leading into the future of this product development Then you should not question if it is worth the price of admission for the Vive. Every time you put on this headset or showcase this to a person who has never experienced VR, it will bring a smile to your face. It's a whole new medium that brings an experience to the table that can be enjoyed by a wide spectrum of age groups and cultures. This is going to change the world. Long Version- I have bought over 300 items off Amazon without ever writing a review, but I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs with praise for this VR system. This is a game changing peripheral device that has the opportunity to change the world and be utilized in various professional industries. If you are reading this and have never used a Vive, it's difficult to describe using words to someone. How do you describe an experience to someone who has never experienced the same art "medium" as you have? Could you imagine trying to describe what it's like to watch TV or a motion picture to someone who has never seen a digital display? The best I have come up with is it's a "total immersion" experience. To sum it up in an example, my parents and grandparents have never had a passing interest in "video games", yet I had to set time limits and a rotation pattern for them because they did not want to take it off! I have never been so satisfied with a compute related purchase in my life. I bought it with the mentality that if I didn't think it was a game changing device, I would return it and wait for it to become mainstream and cheaper. But the moment I put on the headset, jumped into Google Earth VR, traveled to all the countries I visited on a previous deployment while staring at the milky way above my head, I knew I was hooked. It's an awe-inspiring experience each time I turn it on, and this is only the beginning. I use this as a supplement to my iRacing Simulator and DCS Flight Simulator. For the immersion, depth of field, depth perception, and realism, it is worth the price of admission alone. If you are reading this and use either flight simulators or racing simulators, you already know the benefits this device can provide to your training and hobby. It's single handily the best upgrade I have ever done to my simulators and this is by far not the most expensive upgrade I have added to those rigs. If you sim race or use other simulators, this should be on your 2017 upgrade path. Other VR games- The steam store is going to be the future one stop shop for all VR related games. Steam has begun accepting all VR headsets to be used within Steam, and I believe this business strategy will outlast Oculus’s “exclusive” game orientation. We all observed how well that worked for Microsoft, how well do you think it will work for Oculus? Over 80% of the games I use in VR are FREE on the Steam store for early access or testing. Want to go explore the human body? Go download The Body VR and explore the cells within your blood stream. Want to showcase how immerse and large the digital experience can be on the Vive? Go launch The Lab and waste 5 hours of your day. Want to make art with Nebulas in a space sandbox? Fire up Cosmic Sugar VR. Every day, new free or cheap games are being added to Steam. It’s a developer dream right now and almost every major design studio is starting to experiment with these devices. OCULUS VS VIVE- I have extensively used both for both sim racing, flight simulation, and general gaming. We will have to wait and see how the Oculus Touch will pan out, but early reports are showing its room-scale immersion is still lacking compared to the Vive and at a higher price point. In my opinion, the bashing from both sides needs to stop as both are progressing VR forward, but the Vive is on another medium than the Oculus. Using a Xbox controller with VR feels analog, lacking immersion, and dare I say it: last generation. HTC had more forward thinking on the direction of VR in creating this product and they have Oculus backtracking and rushing to develop a solution. Look to HTC to release a second style of controllers in 2017 to start motion tracking fingers without the need to hold a controller and a wireless solution for the “tail” of thick wires connected to the device. We will look back on these moments years from now in the future and people will recount their first experiences when VR launched and I can confidently say I will have been glad I was an early adopter and pushed this technology forward. All aboard the VR train; it's leaving the station with or without you. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2016 by Shawn David Stone
Its Fantastic..but...be willing to invest in some of the paid software as this is where it really shines!
I have owned the Vive now for about 4 months, and considering the price, it does indeed put somewhat of a dent in your wallet. That being the case, I went up and down the steam VR store searching for all the freebie VR apps and software that go with it. There is a lot of great freeware, such as Google Earth VR, and several other titles that give you some short films or animations that look really nice. However, it has only been in the last month or two where I've really gotten excited about the Vive, and when did this happen? When I finally decided to try some of the paid titles on steam, this is where the system really shines. Some titles I have that I love: AeroFly FS 2 Flight Simulator with VR built into the simulator, paired with a Thrustmaster HOTAS. This is a native VR program where you fly around California, Nevada, and Utah, with other expansions packs available. Verdict? Mindblowing, as you really feel you're in and flying a real plane. Lunar Flight, where you do missions on the moon, very difficult at first but very rewarding as you get better flying the moon module. Soundbox, AudioShield, and Holodance, where you punch different colored balls as they hurl toward you to just about any music you like, the whole point with these programs is they give you a great workout while having tons of fun. These applications are my most recent discovery and these alone are excuse enough to own the Vive, again, you can work up a real sweat while having a blast exercising. The Vive really shines too with some of the educational software, such as Titans of Space and Apollo 11. There are several other excellent titles too, where basically, you are flying in a space ship or craft of some sort and a narrated guide takes you on a tour of the solar system and many of the planets and its a fun way to learn, whether you are a child or adult. The only couple of reasons why I'd really like to fine tune my rating to 4.5 stars is Vive Customer service seems a little off, they gave me some promotional bonus for a free game(s) where the code didn't work and then went in circles trying to get it to work so I eventually gave up. Also, as some others have said, I wouldn't bother with the Vive store, knowing what I know now I'd just stick with getting my Vive games/programs from Steam. The other thing to be aware of is there is a screen door effect, so the graphics aren't as crisp as say, playing regular 2D games. I'm guessing in the next generation of VR hardware they'll be improving the clarity or crispness. Also, I don't have the latest and greatest Nvidea 1080 graphics card, though I do have the 1060 which I think is still pretty recent. Still, for the VR aspect, the system as a whole is well worth it to me and mindblowing. Finally, you might want to keep in mind that HTC is releasing a new Stand Alone VR headset, supposedly by or before the end of this year (2017) which will be self-contained so you don't need and expensive PC to run it. In conclusion, I have no regrets at all with the Vive and use it at least for a little while every day, so much to do and so much fun! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2017 by DEE-DOR
Used about 10 hours, then headset showed green vertical line, sent for repair, never heard back.
Update 3/14/2018: It's been 3 weeks today from the time HTC signed for my headset. So far, I haven't received a useful update other than my unit is in their "queue" a few weeks ago, despite asking several times for an updated status on my repair. This is highly discouraging. Update 3/9/2018: It's been 17 days since HTC signed for my headset. A week ago I sent an email to their customer support email ([email protected]) asking for an update and they told me their web repair tracker is broken, but that they see my unit in their "queue". Since then I haven't heard anything. I asked for another update a day ago, but so far I haven't heard back. So I guess it's good that they acknowledged receiving my headset but it sure would be nice for them to let me know where things stand with it. 17 days is obviously well beyond the 7 to 10 days they told me it would take to repair my headset. Still waiting for an update... Update 2/27/2018: I've sent in my unit for repair and they signed for it a week ago, but according to their repair site, they never received the unit. I chatted with several of their reps (you can't call these people), and they both said that they probably have it and the repair site is probably not accurate. That's not very comforting. I was told in my initial chat with support they would reach out after receiving the unit to provide a repair estimate. A week after they signed for my unit, I've received no communication nor update of any kind, other than the useless vague updates I'm getting by chatting with chat agents. During my initial contact with their support chat, they said it takes 7 to 10 days to get the device repair and returned, and so far, I haven't heard a peep. Because of my initial review below, they asked me to email them my ticket information, so I did. I'm hopeful I will get a response and I'm hopeful it's not more bad news. Initial Review: Used about 10 hours over 1 year. This week, I decided to hook it back up. It had been safely packed up for about 6 months on a self, but when I reconnected everything, the right eye on the headset had a vertical green line. In chatting with Vive support, which are very friendly, the unit was diagnosed a defective. What's worst is I'm 30 days beyond my 12-month warranty, so I have to pay for any repairs. According to the Vive rep, even if I was in warranty, I may still have to pay for repairs depending on what they found. I'm disappointed in the quality of the unit, since it only worked for about 10 hours for me then become defective. I'm disappointed that I have to pay to fix what is obviously a faulty right-eye display, which I would expect to last more than 10 hours. I'll pay to fix it, unless the cost is more than buying another one off eBay. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2018 by FallismyFav
A True Blessing. I Am So Thankful!!
This device is life changing. I'm a huge gamer. I'll admit, an unhealthy addict. Sitting in front of a desktop PC doesn't do my body any good at all. It's been causing me anxiety, loss of sleep and disappointment in myself. I was assuming the Vive would just add to it, but I had to have it anyway. The result were entirely unexpected. In less than a week I've exercised more than I have in years and had a BLAST doing so. I actually WANT to exercise more than my body can handle. My entire body is sore and I'm loving it. I feared that I would use the Vive as a form of escape and ignore my real world responsibilities and kill my social life. The exact opposite has happened. This is not a casual toy. If you intend to use it room scale, it takes a lot of planning. There are sensors to set up, a good amount of space needed, a LOT of cable management. It works best if you have an entire room dedicated to VR, but not all of us are fortunate enough to have that kind of space. Something you will learn early on is that when you take off the headset and return to the real world, you want your real world settings to be pleasing. The last thing you want to see when you return is a sink full of dishes, dirty laundry, clutter or anything that would cause you disappointment. My apartment is now spotless and totally in order. Half of my living room is set up for the Vive. I have a welcoming, clean open space complete with yoga mats. I now live in my previously unused workout clothes. This is an experience to share. My friends are totally blown away. This didn't decrease my social life. Again, it did the opposite. I'm inviting my MOTHER over! GASP! That never happens! :) She used to be an avid scuba diver but can no longer dive due to health issues. Next week I'm taking her scuba diving in my living room! My friend's wife was trying to plan a small surprise birthday for him but they're new in town and don't know many people. I offered to host the gathering at my place. Why not? It's now clean! We had a wonderful evening. I'm planning on having people over most weekends to have fun and explore the possibilities the Vive offers. It's a joy to share! My PC gaming addiction is gone. POOF! Just like that. I never would thing this would happen. Yes, I'm still playing games, but I'm fully active. Very active. I moved almost non stop for 3.5 hours yesterday. I'm much more aware of my time. I don't feel depressed or that I'm missing out or hiding from life. I feel exhilarated. This does not come without a price. Please know that the current $799 price is just the beginning. You will need a top of the line computer with a powerful graphics card in order to run the Vive properly. Being a big gamer, I already had the computer ($1100 about six months ago) but I still had to upgrade to a GeForce 1070, which currently runs just over $400. Tripods and mounts: $60. Applications run from free to about $30 each. I've dropped a couple of hundred on games in the first week. Budget your money, budget your space, know what you have to do to get this set up, get your act together and THEN buy this. Your story might end differently than mine, but I hope if anything it's better. And for the love of all that is holy, buy Audioshield. It's by far my most used app and SOOOOOOOO much fun ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2016 by Dusty Fohs
Video Games Forever Changed! (but customer service is HORRIBLE)
I am absolutely stunned by how amazing VR is now that I own an HTC Vive. I had held off thinking that I might wait for the second generation of headsets to come out. I really wish I hadn't waited because the experience in VR on the HTC Vive in a Room Scale environment is beyond description. Watching videos of people playing VG games online pales in comparison to actually strapping it on and wandering around in VR. Don't wait any longer if you are still on the fence about moving into VR. I absolutely love the HTC Vive's quality and feel. The headset is very comfortable and smooth in play. I play for hours and don't have any comfort issues. My wife and son also play and there are no issues switching from user to user (although I do strongly recommend getting the Vive replacement face pads to swap out after a long sweaty game. They are machine washable and well worth it. I got the ones from HTC, (not third-party ones). Setup of the Vive was incredibly simple and before I knew it, I was in my new VR Room (Steam's VR Room). This was very cool and I still love going to the room to look around and play with furniture, decorations and gadgets there. The software installation experiences through Steam have been super simple and there are a number of great games to play with more being added monthly. Mounting the base stations (Lighthouses as they are referred to) was very simple. I set mine up in my basement so it was trivial to screw them into the exposed beams. For other rooms, it should be pretty simple to do. One can mount them into the walls or purchase the tall camera lighting stands to hold the base stations (1/4" screw base). If you do mount them to the wall, I suggest getting the plastic trim sold at places like Home Depot to put the power cables into so that you don't have black cords dangling down a while wall. My wife and I both agree that it would be hard to go back to playing conventional games on a display after experiencing life in VR on the Vive. I really am looking forward to seeing what Valve (Half-Life and Portal) puts out for VR. Apparently they have three different VR titles due out this year. As they made the Vive along with HTC, you know that they will put out some awesome exclusive titles. Some Suggestions: 1) Buy the HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap. It's' very comfortable, provides great sound and is very easy to adjust. Well worth the investment. 2) Buy some spare face pads. You WILL have others trying it out and you don't want to pass around the headset with wet, smelly face pads. Suggested Games (As of August 2017): The Lab (Free), RawData, Space Pirate Trainer, Brookhaven Experiment, Job Simulator, Google Earth VR (Free), Tilt Brush, Richie's Plank Experience & Vanishing Realms. Update September 01 2017: I am still absolutely loving playing video games again. I find myself looking forward to the end of the day so that I can slip on the Vive and enter new worlds. I have had no problems with the hardware. I really enjoy purchasing through Steam as I can try out a game and return it for a full refund if it isn't something I want to keep. The games continue to amaze me. It's funny when standing in VR, looking over the edge of a building, that you worry about falling over. It's very difficult convincing myself that I will not fall and get hurt (even though I KNOW I am in my basement!) I played a VR flight sim called VTOL VR and love the feeling of flying, being able to look all around myself while controlling the aircraft. I have a few other flight sim titles to try out which are much more realistic and can't wait to play them! Update: March 16 2018 (star rating changed from 5 to 3) I have absolutely loved my Vive! The games.. no, the experience continue to blow my mind and make it so very hard to go back to play conventional games on a flat monitor after experiencing VR. The Vive itself is an amazing platform to use. It is highly accurate for tracking, the view in the headset is great and the controllers work flawlessly. I reduced my star rating from 5 to 3 because of the exceptionally poor customer service. My controllers had an issue and needed to be sent in for repair under warranty. As of today, they have been in HTC's possession for 25 days. They sent me a link to check on the repair status and it has never been updated (it only says that the RMA number was issued). Every time I check with HTC via chat, I get the same story. They have the controllers and are waiting on parts. They "escalated" my case and all I got was an email saying that more people know about this but no other details (like an ETA perhaps?). So, because of this horrendous experience, I cannot leave a favorable star rating. I truly do love the Vive but if this is how they treat customers, you are far better off looking elsewhere. I will henceforth start recommending Oculus with the caveat that I do not know what customer experience is to be had from them but it can't possibly be worse than HTC for the Vive. Note: I'm not normally one to complain about customer service from a company and frequently did not worry too much about CS experiences mentioned by others. Having experienced truly crappy customer service, I was compelled to warn others. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2017 by D. Cormack
Much More Fun Than Expected
My girlfriend has wanted one of these since we first tried the demo at the Microsoft store a couple of years ago. I've been both in IT my whole adult life, and a lifelong gamer, but I've never been much for gimmicky things with video games. Never cared much for the Wii, the Kinect, motion controls in general, and so on. I thought this was neat at the demo, but not something I would have expected to ever want. This past weekend, she decided that she had money for the necessary PC upgrades (and make no mistake - this thing takes a beast of a computer to run) and the Vive itself. So $1,300 later, the new computer was built, and we had the Vive. Setup is a little tedious as you have to mount the cameras and make sure they're not too far apart, trace your space with the remotes, install Steam if you don't have it, the Vive software, et al. Including mounting, hookups, software, and everything else, it took us probably about an hour in total. More if you factor updating drivers and tweaking the GPU a bit to pull the most power out of it. The first night, I let her play with it all night since she was the one that wanted it. But the second day, I took the wheel. The first game I tried was a haunted house type thing that was free in the Vive store...I'm not one to get super scared at stuff like that, but I was genuinely creeped out. I'd see a dark corner, and had no desire to turn it for fear of what would be waiting for me. It was in this game that I made a goof I imagine a lot of people have - to reposition the cables coming from the headset, I attempted to set the controller down on a dresser in the game...and down to the floor it goes. I felt like an idiot for a second, but you can't truly get how immersive this thing is until you try it. Another thing I had fun with was a free to play roller coaster sim. I tried standing while the ride went, and I can't stress this enough - DO NOT DO THAT. Even though I knew it was a game, and even trying to consciously force myself to sit still, I could feel my knees and muscles tense and try to shift my balance as the ride hit turns. I got the sensation of the negative gravity, even though my body wasn't physically moving. At one point, the ride came to a huge drop, and I had to close my eyes and pause the game because I knew I would have fallen otherwise. And I have really good balance. That's how awesome this is. I'd say, at this point, this isn't something your average, every day user is going to deem worth the cost of entry, especially if you don't already have a gaming computer. But if you get a chance to try it, definitely do. It's an experience like no other. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2018 by Brandon Ratliff
For this first generation of PC VR, this is pretty good.
This really is a great gadget for anyone that loves PC gaming. I won't delve into everything that is great about it; just give out some technical implementation and trouble information with the HTC Vive: First, the tracking sensors can be touchy. I highly recommend testing the location you pick out on the walls for mounting before actually mounting. Things like reaching up to adjust the headset with your hands and arms can and will cause sudden loss of tracking. Sometimes, when seated, and turning your head, you can get glitchy tracking results and the headset view will seem to jump around as the system reacquires tracking. This effect is similar to XBox Kinect where it cannot tell the difference between one of your arms and body, or your left from right arm. So for a split second it reports bad information to the game and there is a sudden jerking movement. This happens with the HTC Vive as the headset is facing in a semi-perpendicular direction to the "plane" of the two trackers facing each other, but the tracker facing direction and the location of the trackers make a huge difference in this. If you are close to one and far from the other tracker, it is more likely to happen. If your seated play area, like your desktop for playing seated game, is in the 'corner' of the overall play area, you are probably going to see this. If your desktop is in the middle of the rectangular play area (whose house is setup like this??), then you probably will never see this problem. Second, I have seen a lot written about the screen-door effect and how bad it is or if it is noticeable, bothersome, etc. Yes, there is a screen-door effect. Yes, it is bothersome for some games. Mainly, it is troublesome for games that were not made for the HTC Vive or VR specifically. A few good examples are Elite Dangerous and DCS World. Both of these games suffer from issues with the screen-door effect, where text displayed on the screen is simply not legible. In DCS World, you can see the HUD on the A-10C OK, but you cannot make out any of the information displayed on the HUD that is text. In Elite Dangerous, text displayed in menus, targeted ships, and around the HUD in general is difficult to read. In games where the design of the game has VR specifically in mind, the developers obviously make the text much larger and easier to read. If the screen-door effect was not present, the small text might be difficult to read, but not impossible. Most games built for VR don't have the legibility problem, because of the way they are designed. Third, Steam VR is not mature. There are numerous quirks and issues with operating in a mixed VR/Non-VR environment. For example, programming keyboard/joystick/controller options in a game where you need to see/use the keyboard/mouse can be a frustrating experience. Steam seems to allow launching some VR enabled games in a non-VR mode, however, even if you select this option in DCS World and Elite Dangerous, Steam VR launches and uses the headset. I have not found a way to bypass this, but I'm still working on this. Anyway, setting up a joystick for a game where you you might need to look at outside of the 'virtual world' is a mess. Usually, you end up taking on and putting back on the headset repeatedly, it is a chore. There are games where the developer has done a good job for making a setup interface work in VR (e.g. Lunar Flight, a really first class VR in-game controller setup). Another issue is that you may launch a game outside VR via the Steam application, put your headset one and discover that although you can see the game in VR just fine, nothing works. This is usually caused by the game on the Windows desktop not having focus (click on it with the mouse to get focus). It's weird, and it is not intuitive. A few other annoyances are having to adjust and re-adjust the motion tracking sensor directions and re-run the room setup frequently. The chaperone (basically an in-game grid when you get too close to the defined play-area boundary) seems to appear when I'm not really that close to a boundary. Cable management; keeping from getting tangled up or stepping all over the cables in a standing/moving VR game. Adjusting and readjusting the headset position on your face all of the time, slight changes in position, change the center of focus. Everything in the peripheral part of the view (not straight ahead) is progressively blurred and has extreme chromatic aberration (Red/Green/Blue divergence). Some VR games have altered some internal brightness/contrast/color controls, affecting the headset even after exiting the game. To resolve this, you must shut the headset down completely and restart it, this is annoying. Not annoying but interesting: Everything displayed that is designed for VR is in stereoscopic 3D and the effect is really very cool. The 90Hz scan rate is halved to 45 for this 3D, so the max FPS displayed is 45fps. This is generally not a problem. Overall, this is a great experience and worth buying into. I imagine that followup generations of this VR technology will be lighter on the head and present a better VR display, as well as being less quirky to setup and use. VR is definitely going to be the future, despite all of the naysayers. It will take time, but in ten years, VR is where first person gaming will be focused. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2017 by Brian J. Mcmahon
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