An introduction to VR through the HTC Vive

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

I've long been a skeptic when it comes to Virtual Reality or VR. I've covered the technologies and evolution of virtual reality since the mid-90's when the idea was that the internet and VR could easily create a connected, immersive and interactive reality alongside reality itself.

But like many widely heralded buzz-worthy technologies, VR always felt like a hollow promise mired by compromise at every turn. It required expensive and enormous headsets, a ton of wires connected to a supercomputer, and the content was, for the most part, as low-rez and blocky as what one could get out of a PlayStation One console.  It is now 2016 and companies are flying high the VR flag again, what's different this time is that there are actual consumer products as well as content generated specifically for VR.

HTC invited me to try their HTC Vive VR headset in a Toronto hotel a few days ago and I brought a healthy dose of skepticism with me. Here's what I learned.

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BMW integrates HTC Vive into its development process

Luxury car maker BMW has announced that they will be integrating HTC’s Vive virtual reality device as part of their vehicle development process.  The automaker said integrating this product will help them iterate designs much faster and implement changes quickly as well. BMW boasts they have been using VR systems since the ‘90s but using the Vive will be more cost-effective for them in the long run. BMW has been evaluating the Vive throughout 2015 by using several developer kits for various pilot projects since last autumn.

Source: BMW  

Video shows off the VR experience using the HTC Vive

It’s hard to explain what using a virtual reality device is like. This new Valve trailer featuring the HTC Vive shows what it’s like to play games using a VR headset. A lot of the games and experiences shown in the video come with the Vive for free including The Lab, Hover Junkers, Everest VR, Tilt Brush, to name a few. One of the things that sets the Vive apart from the Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR is it allows for room-scale and it comes with motion controllers. This allows you to physically walk around in a virtual space, giving a different kind of immersive experience.

Source: Forbes

HTC Vive hit with auto cancellation issues for some pre-orders

It looks like Oculus isn't the only one with order issues. HTC's been dealing with automatic cancellation for pre-orders of its own virtual reality headset, the Vive. It seems some of the customers have been seeing their orders cancelled after the $800+ USD charge have been declined by some financial institutions. HTC has announced that they've already reinstated some orders that have been cancelled because of this issue. They're encouraging buyers to let their financial institutions know about the upcoming charge. But they're also promising to work with their clients to process payments and to make sure they get their Vive when they're expecting it. Shipping for the is expected to start next week. If you've experienced auto cancellation, contact your bank as well as 882.216.4736 to get in touch with HTC directly about your order. 

Source: Android Central