HTC Vive Focus Plus launching in Q2 with two 6DoF controllers

HTC is continuing to put a lot of time, money, and, well, focus on the still small VR market. Today, it announced the HTC Vive Focus Plus, a new version of its Vive Focus standalone VR headset which will ship with two 6DoF (Six Degrees of Freedom) controllers.

In a blog post, HTCstated the two controllers will each come with a pressure sensitive analog trigger, which should allow for better control and interaction with virtual objects. The controllers also use ultrasound for its 6DoF support, and that should also allow for VR developers to have an easier time porting PC versions of their games to the new headset.

Inside, it sounds like the Vive Focus Plus will have the same hardware specs as the older Vive Focus, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor.

The Vive Focus Plus will launch sometime in the second quarter of 2019 in 25 markets worldwide. Specifics about which markets will get the headset, and the price for the Vive Focus Plus, have yet to be announced.

The original Vive Focus launched first in China in late 2017 and finally was released in the U.S. in late 2018 for the price of $599. The new Vive Focus Plus will compete with the Oculus Quest, another stand-alone VR headset which is due for release this Spring for the price of $399.

HTC also announced today that its Viveport Infinity VR gaming and app subscription service will launch on April 2. It will offer all Vive and Wave-powered headsets owners access to a large library of VR games and apps for a monthly fee. HTCwill show the new Vive Focus Plus, along with the upcoming eye-tracking supported HTC Vive Pro Eye VR headset, next week at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona.

NEXT: HTC Edge Sense: What is it, why it’s awesome, and how to use it