By Neeraj Seth, Head of Marketing – Middle East and Africa at HTC
With today’s technology environment so focused on mobility and connectivity, smartphones rather than gaming consoles and desktop computers will be the key to unlocking the growth of the virtual reality (VR) market. VR will be a key technology in the next phase in the evolution of the smartphone.
VR technology has long been touted to be the next step in desktop and gaming hardware, but now, smartphones are the entryway for new consumer computing technologies into the mainstream market. Today’s smartphone is a state-of-the-art computer and its ubiquity is the reason it is likely to drive VR adoption.
I envision a world where VR will not only provide ground-breaking gaming and cinema experiences for consumers, but also transform the way in which they surf the web and visit places. VR can improve the overall quality of life allowing people to explore the wonders of the world and have experiences they would not otherwise have enjoyed. It could also be invaluable for training simulations.
Imagine the possibility of planning your holidays and doing a VR visit of the hotel and the tourist sites before you commit. Or think about an art student who can’t get to the real Louvre, doing a virtual tour. We also foresee a future where you can share experiences such as movies or sports games with friends and family on the other side of the world. You could share a VR space, gauging each other’s reactions while being in separate locations.
HTC this year announced a partnership with Valve, a global leader in gaming, to launch the HTC Vive consumer edition. HTC Vive combines the world’s most immersive, breath-taking VR experience with HTC’s world-renowned design to set an industry standard for the nascent mobile VR space.
The aim is to offer the most immersive experience of any VR headset with HTC Vive, plunging people into other worlds at a moment’s notice, with its 360-degree room-scale tracking, Vive allows the consumer to walk around and explore virtual surroundings, inspect objects from all angles and have a truly interactive experience. Additionally, we are introducing a Universal VR Controller that will work seamlessly with the headset and new HTC Laser Lighthouses, as it tracks the most subtle hand movements.”
As the technology proliferates, everyday activities such as travel; attending a game, meeting friends or even shopping, will be changed forever. Currently, HTC is working with some of the world’s best consumer brands, including Google, HBO, Lionsgate and the National Palace Museum in Taiwan to make this vision a reality.