Feeling less than impressed with virtual reality via phone, but don't want to drop the money on a fancy PC rig and high-end headset? HTC's newest device may be for you... if you can get one.
The electronics giant has announced the HTC Link, a little brother to the high-end HTC Vive. The Link has built-in 1080 x 1200 displays and 90Hz refresh rate, features six-degrees-of-freedom tracking, allowing for greater mobility.
While the HTC Link isn't tethered to a PC, it does require an HTC U11 smartphone for the needed computing power.
The headset is a bridge, of sorts, between top-shelf experiences like the Vive and Oculus Rift and more affordable headsets that rely on a phone for both the display and processing power, like Google's Daydream View and Samsung Gear VR.
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Good luck getting one
HTC hasn't yet announced a price for the Link, making it unclear if it's the cost-effective happy medium between mobile and PC VR that some might be hoping for.
Additionally, the HTC Link is currently a Japan exclusive, so it's also not certain if or when we'll see the in-between VR goggles on the global market, according to Engadget.
That said, HTC is also hard at work on an entirely different VR headset that doesn't need a PC or a phone due out later this year. The Vive-branded viewer will run on Google's Daydream VR platform, and is part of a standalone headset push by the company.
As such, we won't be surprised if the semi-niche, HTC U11-powered Link sticks to the sidelines to make room for HTC's standalone headset.
- When will we hear about an HTC Vive 2?
