Yes, you read correctly. October is really the month of virtual reality this time. This thursday HTC is going to present a new VR headset to the public and beating Facebook by doing so. HTC has already posted teasers every now and then a few days ago, where a black cup could be seen. The name of the device is “HTC Flow.” Many assumed a coffee mug, to AR glasses. But latest leaks testify that HTC is launching a new VR headset without controllers at all. This one is supposed to focus more towards media consumption. Some evidence and even a new post from HTC confirm this. Furthermore, another leak has shown that HTC is working on their own metaverse, which is called “Viveport Verse”. This virtual world is probably supposed to act as a competitor to Facebook’s Horizon. More about this later in the article.

On Thursday, HTC will show their new VR headset called “HTC Flow”. The site Protocol.com and its author Janko Roettgers have received various informations about the upcoming HTC event and its HTC Flow headset. Allegedly, the headset does come completely without controllers and is supposed to be more aimed at mere media consumption. Facebook had already tried a similar experiment with their Oculus Go. Further informations even confirms that it is an all-in-one VR headset. The Bluetooth SIG consortium, which is involved in the development and distribution of Bluetooth technology, has confirmed a new AiO VR headset from HTC in a document. Further leaks state that the headset is primarily designed for media consumption and can only play very simple games to a limited extent. The chipset is also supposed to be weaker than the chipset of the Quest 2.

Let’s move on to the next point where HTC wants to keep up with Facebook, too. After Facebook made a big splash with their metaverse project “Facebook Horizon”, HTC now also wants to jump on the social VR bandwagon. There is even already an official Viveport Verse page, which you can find here. The site itself says of Viveport Verse: “Explore the world beyond physical space,” “meet people around the world,” and “attend a variety of events, from virtual tourism and exhibitions to sporting events and festivals.” In addition, Viveport Verse is said to be accessible from any VR headset, computer or mobile smartphone/tablet and will also have NFT support. Users will also be able to create their own 3D objects or worlds and share them with others. Sounds like an exciting project.

HTC does some things right here, but it comes much too late. We have wanted alternatives to Facebook’s VR glasses for a long time, but they also have to be convincing in terms of performance and price. Both, which HTC has not managed so far. I personally have a hard time finding a market for the HTC Flow headset. As long as the price isn’t far below the Oculus Quest 2, which offers more power and even controllers, the HTC Flow’s target audience is very, very small. Their Viveport Verse, on the other hand, could definitely appeal if the release date and also the virtual possibilities within Viveport Verse can convince. In any case, we are curious to see what HTC will show on Thursday and keep our fingers crossed for them. Good luck HTC!

Link to register for the upcoming HTC event

New HTC headset without controllers and HTCs metaverse “Viveport Verse” coming soon. was originally published in AR/VR Journey: Augmented & Virtual Reality Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.