The HTC Vive Cosmos looks promising. The recently-launched brand-new headset is said to be so much better than its predecessors, the Vive VR headset, the Vive Pro, Vive Pro Eye, and Vive Focus Plus.
The HTC Vive Cosmos was recently launched at $699. Those who will buy this new headset get to enjoy a trial subscription to Viveport Infinity. Those who will pre-order it before October 3rd can get a whole year of trial subscription and those who will order it after this period can get six months. This is a good deal given the VR game service costs around $99 a year.
The Cosmos is miles away from its predecessors. It has flip-up goggles, features inside-out tracking, comes with a modular faceplate, and has the newest controllers of the company. It also features the highest-rest VR display on the market today. The Vive Pro also has the integrated headphones, but the ones with the Cosmos is still better given the fact that it can be unplugged and swapped out for new cans that the users prefer.
Despite these improvements, Vice Cosmos is still not a standalone headset. Instead, it is still necessary to tether it to a PC.
I think there's a place for both PC and standalone experiences," Dan O'Brien, president of HTC Vive in North America said about this. "Mobile has made great strides over the years, but for right now, the problems that we can solve and the experiences we can deliver are just so much more powerful on the PC. The PC will always be up there."
However, if users want, they can still get the Vive Wireless Adapter so they can untether the Cosmos from the PC. This is not cheap though, costing around $300 each.
Engadget was able to have a hands-on experience with the Cosmos and made a promising conclusion about this experience. The user tried out the original Vive and then the new one and realized the latter is simply better. According to the site, "The overall ergonomics on the Cosmos are vastly improved. Putting it on is way easier, for example."
In addition, the Cosmos also feels significantly lighter. The user was particularly grateful that the Cosmos is now made more accommodating to all types of face shapes. With the new Cosmos, the user can still wear eyeglasses and not feel bothered. The eyeglasses reportedly do not press against the users' eyes.
Another great feature mentioned is the IPD dial, which allows the user to adjust the distance between the lenses. It may look big, but wearing it for hours does not feel tiring.
