HTC Vive phone companion app keeps you notified while immersed in VR

The age of virtual reality is already here with the Oculus Rift and Gear VR, and very soon HTC and Valve’s Vive headset is scheduled to start landing in consumer hands too. To coincide with the consumer launch, HTChas released a Vive companion app for Android phones that will keep you up to date with your latest notifications when you’re worlds away.

Essentially, the companion application pushes notifications from your phone directly to the PC that’s connected up to your Vive headset, so you don’t have to take off the headset to see that a message has come through. You’ll need to setup the software on both your phone and PC, but it’s a simple step by step process.

The system uses Bluetooth and can be configured to provide notifications about calls, text messages, and calendar reminders, so you won’t miss anything important while you’re immersed. The app can even set up handy quick replies to let others know that you are currently preoccupied.

The Vive Phone Companion app is available for free from the Google Play Store and you don’t have to own an HTCsmartphone to use it. As long as your phone is running KitKat or newer, you should be good to go.

If you’re interested in the HTCVive, the headset will set you back $799 or €899 if you are in Europe, which certainly isn’t cheap. Not to mention that you will need a pretty good computer too. Eager customers can place an order over at the official website.

Learn more about the HTCVive in this “everything you need to know” post!