14 DAY TRIAL // HTC has just unveiled a new VR headset which will be paired with the company’s latest flagship smartphone, the HTC U11. HTC Link VR headset comes with six degrees of freedom (6DOF) tracking, something that’s not found in many major VR headsets, according to UploadVR.
HTC Link can be paired with HTC’s latest smartphone, the U11, delivering an immersive experience for smartphone users. The VR headset represents the gateway to virtual reality content, providing users with the possibility to explore apps and play games with 360-degree field of view.
The reason the U11 is compatible with the HTC Link is the phone’s Snapdragon 835 and 4GB of RAM combo. The Qualcomm platform fares well in terms of graphics, thanks to its Adreno 540 GPU. The same platform and GPU can be found on the Galaxy S8, although the latter comes with fewer RAM.
HTC Link comes with two 3.6-inch displays
Interestingly, HTC Link won’t make use of the 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution on HTC U11’s 5.5-inch screen, as the VR headset comes with its own 3.6-inch LED screens with 1080 x 1200 pixel resolution. This is why the HTC Link is a semi-standalone VR headset. Standalone VR headsets have been in the news lately, ever since Google announced its intention to release such devices in the near future.
The two screens on the HTC Link have a 90Hz refresh rate and 110-degree field of view. The VR headset weighs in at 554 grams.
HTC’s new VR headset comes with two compatible controllers with LED lights on them, which can be tracked using an external sensor, similar to what’s found in Sony’s PlayStation VR. The camera and controllers come in the retail box for the HTC Link. The new VR headset won’t use Vive’s lighthouse stations.
Sadly, HTC Link appears to have been designed for the market in Japan solely, and HTC doesn’t plan to release it in other markets. Perhaps the reason why HTC Link is restricted to a single country is connected to the fact that the company recently partnered with Google to develop a standalone VR headset with 6DOF tracking, one that will run on Google’s Daydream platform.
