At E3 2018, HTC announced details of the HTC Vive wireless adapter and further limited the release period. When can I expect the device?
At CES 2018 in January this year, HTC announced an Intel wireless adapter for the HTC Vive. As part of the E3 2018, the manufacturer has now announced more detailed information on the release period, battery performance and function.
Range and power supply details
It was already known that the hardware extension would use Intel’s WiGig technology (60GHz bandwidth). HTC has now confirmed that up to three wireless adapters can be used in the same room without interference. The ideal distance between player and transmitter is apparently up to six meters.
Meanwhile, an HTC QC 3.0 Powerbank, which the manufacturer already sells as an official accessory, provides the power supply for HTC Vive and wireless adapters. The portable battery should provide two to three hours of operating time, a full charge should take about one hour.
Since the device has a standard USB-C connection, the wireless adapter can potentially also be used with third-party power banks. However, HTC has not yet expressed an opinion on the exact compatibility.
Release in late summer 2018
A concrete release date of the Vive Wireless Adapter is also still to come. After all, HTC has narrowed down the release period: Apparently, the device is nearing completion and should be published in late summer 2018. So we should be able to buy the device by the beginning of autumn on 23 September.
HTC has also not yet named a price for its device. However, it is to be expected that the wireless adapter will be located somewhere close to the existing wireless solution of the manufacturer TPCast, which will cost around 350 euros.
For more Virtual Reality news from the E3 2018 visit our corresponding review article. Independently of the games fair, HTC recently presented a system update and other accessories for the standalone glasses Vive Focus, which are currently only available in China.
Will you give the Vive Wireless Adapter a chance? Share your opinion with us in the comments!