If you’re tired of the limited capabilities of the Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3s—or perhaps you don’t want to support Mark Zuckerberg’s anti-diversity stance and the company’s widespread layoffs—there are alternatives for wireless, base-station-less PCVR without the hefty price tag. While Meta dominates the consumer VR market, are there any other viable options? Enter the HTC Vive Focus Vision, a headset that might seem like a strong contender, but the experience falls short for a $1,000 device.
What should you expect from a $1,000 VR experience? Meta’s Quest series has cornered the market, with the Quest 3 priced at just $500. There are other players, such as Pico and Sony’s PlayStation VR2, but Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro misses the mark for a variety of reasons. For VR to work well, you need responsive controls for gaming, easy startup, and quick access to games. While the HTC Vive Focus Vision has some solid specs, it doesn’t deliver the full experience one might expect at this price point.
The HTC Vive Focus Vision comes with two 90Hz, 2448×2448 resolution fresnel lenses and a combined 5K resolution. It offers up to 120 degrees FOV, dual 2x driver directional speakers, and two 16 MP passthrough cameras for decent serviceable passthrough visuals. Its specs put it on par with lower-end headsets, and while the PSVR2 boasts OLED displays, the Vive Focus Vision doesn’t leave you wanting much visually. The headset also features two internal eye-tracking cameras for a more immersive experience.
The device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 CPU with 12GB of RAM, and it boasts automatic PPD recognition. However, I found the PPD calibration to be a constant issue, with the headset repeatedly needing adjustments when I put it back on. Despite these quirks, the Vive Focus Vision is well-built, with a battery pack housed in a padded case on the back strap. The headrest adjusts for a tight yet comfortable fit, and it keeps out the light effectively.
When it comes to usability, however, the Focus Vision starts to fall short. The weight distribution, with the battery on the back, causes an odd momentum when turning your head. Though comfortable initially, after two hours, the headset began to feel cumbersome. The battery life isn’t great either, lasting about the same as the Meta Quest 3 or Vision Pro—around two hours.
I used the HTC Vive Focus Vision for several weeks, and it left me underwhelmed for its $1,000 price tag. One major issue was the constant loss of my play area, even after repeatedly redrawing my space. HTC’s hand-tracking capabilities were also subpar, with the software glitching at one point and setting the ground at a 20-degree angle. The device also struggled with tracking in SteamVR, and I had to take it to my office for reorientation.
What further dragged the experience down was HTC’s limited app ecosystem. While the Vive Cosmos OS facilitates PCVR and SteamVR connections, there’s a lack of popular VR experiences. HTC’s store has a few titles, but it’s far behind in terms of offering the best VR experiences available, such as Asgard’s Wrath II. Meta’s Quest has access to Steam Link and a solid internet connection, while HTC’s setup is more cumbersome. To stream games from your PC, you can buy the $150 Vive Wired Streaming Kit or use the Vive Hub app, both of which add extra steps and complexity. For simpler, lag-free streaming, I opted for the $20 Virtual Desktop app, which worked decently with my gaming laptop but still required a strong internet connection.
Virtual Desktop allowed me to play games like Half-Life: Alyx and SuperHot VR with minimal lag, I couldn’t ignore the fact that Meta’s Horizon OS offers experiences that the Vive Focus Vision simply can’t match. This headset is more of a developer device, designed primarily for PCVR enthusiasts, but it’s plagued by several hurdles. HTC’s software is falling behind, and the Vive Focus Vision lacks key features that could make it competitive in the consumer market.
Google acquired HTC’s VR division for $250 million, and the company is working with Samsung to develop a new device to rival Apple’s Vision Pro. While these future devices might address some of HTC’s current shortcomings, Meta is still the best option for those seeking a solid VR experience at an affordable price. VR as a whole needs a boost, and Meta shouldn’t be the only company leading the charge. Let’s hope other players emerge soon to offer more competitive alternatives to the Quest and drive innovation in the space.
