HTC hinted that they have a surprise announcement for CES 2018. However, their Twitter post possibly teases a new 4K-ready HTC Vive VR headset.
The company apparently wanted to hype up what it has in store for the Consumer Electronics Show this Sunday. Instead of a subtle hint, everyone got an obvious eyeful of the rumored upgrade to its virtual reality headset.
Before the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer posted their teaser, rumors already hinted that this Sunday's event is a perfect opportunity for the big reveal.
#newyearsresolution #HTCVIVE pic.twitter.com/s29FcX8BPe
— HTC VIVE (@htcvive) January 5, 2018
VR Lifeline
For the past few years, market analysts have regularly pointed out that HTC has been noticeably struggling to stay relevant in the mobile phone market. Competitors such as Apple, Samsung, LG, and other upstart Chinese brands like Huawei and Xiaomi have continually earned the spotlight.
Even though the Taiwanese company presented new features and gimmicks that set its products apart from other brands, it sadly failed to revive interest from consumers.
Meanwhile, its virtual reality venture seems to be paying off compared to the smartphone division. Therefore, it is understandable why the firm worked on an upgrade to compete with the likes of Oculus Rift and Sony PlayStation VR.
4K Resolution Standard
HTC's plans to make the jump to 4K-ready products seem to make sense as technology experts suggest that the 4K-resolution standard has matured. Just like the when full-HD resolution became a benchmark for displays a few years back, the current generation of consumer electronics are prepared to move forward.
The new speculated 4K HTC Vive prompts consumers to question its retail price and minimum PC requirements during launch.
Its older model, which relies on a 2160 x 1200 resolution display, already requires a somewhat powerful PC with at least a Nvidia GTX 970 or AMD RX 480 GPU, an Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 processor, and 4GB of RAM in order to run smoothly. It currently retails for $599.
Based on the details above, the 4K model will absolutely ask for more processing power in order to push for higher-resolution graphics and smooth frame rates.
The Competition
So far, Sony sits on top of the rankings with the most VR headsets sold. According to analysts, its budget-friendly price and low system requirements, as well as compatibility with PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro, make it an attractive entry-level virtual reality product.
The Oculus Rift, on the other hand, requires almost the same specifications as the first-generation HTC Vive. The company is currently working on a newer model, but recent legal challenges with Zenimax have caused problems for the firm and its development progress.
With a bigger software library courtesy of SteamVR (thanks to their collaboration with Valve), the new 4K Vive might be in a good position to grab its share of the virtual reality market. As long as the price is right and the requirements are reasonable, HTC has a chance to come out on top.
Stay tuned for CES 2018 as the company unveils their new VR experience.
