HTC VIVE Cosmos has launched - specs, reviews and impressions

[RuneSR2]

Moved this post from another thread - Cosmos deserves its own thread. And Cosmos is out - I kinda like the music, lol:

https://youtu.be/RmI8mLskRXs

https://youtu.be/5vkqM1hhs3A

$700 (includes free 12-month VIVEPORT Infinity membership,worth $99):
 

https://www.vive.com/us/product/cosmos/

So no phoneVR, but something much better:

Wireless Adapter

Untethered virtual reality is here. Remove cords from the equation. Move freely. Get powerful visual and audio transmission at 60GHz. Featuring Intel® WiGig technology. 
*Sold separately.

Thus untethered is still 90 Hz, but transmission is done at 60 GHz. 

And HTC did what Oculus failed to do - they've added support for external sensors too, this could be the most awesome tracking options ever made - this may also help HTC not getting a lot of criticism in case inside-out isn't working perfectly (like Rift-S in the beginning):

External Tracking Mod

Lighthouse tracking support. Combine the precision of Lighthouse tracking with the flexibility of VIVE Cosmos with this novel mod. Coming soon.

*External Tracking Mod sold separately.
*SteamVR™ compatible base stations and controllers sold separately.

Full specs:

Cosmos places itself between Rift-S and Index, probably a very smart move. You can upgrade the tracking to probably be better than Index, but you won't get the Index fov and refresh rates - and you won't get the Knuckles. 

Regarding the hardware Cosmos looks much better than Rift-S, but it's also nearly twice as expensive. And Oculus has a lot of exclusive content. Tracking and controllers may win greatly compared to Reverb, but of course Reverb still has the better res. 

Cosmos res is 33 % higher than Rift-S. And 6% higher than the Index. 

[DaftnDirect]

Very promising. I'm with you OmegaM4N , will need a good few trusted reviews before jumping to any conclusions but on paper the specs look reasonable for the price which is something I didn't expect to be saying for a device from HTC.

Having said that, I'm not in the market to upgrade just yet.

[Techy111]

Yeah agree DnD I'm HMD maxed out now and am not in the market but specs do look promising.

[RuneSR2]

Fresh reviews/impressions: 

"So far, the Vive Cosmos doesn’t feel like a VR revolution. Instead, it’s iterative update to the Vive and Vive Pro. At $699, it’s for enthusiasts only — and probably not worth an upgrade if you were an early adopter of the Vive. For those looking to dive into immersive VR for the first time, though, it’ll be one of the best options available when it goes on sale globally on October 3."
https://www.digitaltrends.com/vr-headset-reviews/htc-vive-cosmos-review/

"The real battle will be between the Cosmos and Oculus' Rift S, which is already on sale and is also a tethered headset with inside-out tracking. Its display, though, isn't quite as high-res as HTC's. That said, the Cosmos costs not far off double the price."
https://www.stuff.tv/htc/vive-cosmos/review

"HTC did something radical when it designed its newest VR headset for consumers: It listened to its customers. The result is a brand-new standalone headset called the Vive Cosmos. It's basically better in every way than the original Vive that preceded it. The Cosmos is aimed at existing HTC Vive owners and VR enthusiasts who want better comfort, improved visuals and the simplicity of not having to set up those Lighthouse base stations around a room."
https://www.cnet.com/news/the-htc-vive-cosmos-vr-is-a-polished-overdue-upgrade/

[nalex66]

Huh, this actually looks pretty good. Nothing revolutionary, but a nice set of specs and features. This is what the Rift S should have been, in terms of resolution, audio, and features (IPD adjustment and flip-up visor). Price is a little steep compared to Rift S though. I’m not generally a fan of subscription services, but I guess a free year of Viveport would be a way to try some stuff without buying it. 

Anyway, I’m not rushing to move away from the Oculus ecosystem, but hopefully this will put some pressure on Oculus to up their game a bit.

[bigmike20vt]

better in everyway to the vive........................ except for tracking and FOV 😉

(i am mostly joking i am interested too... though wont be early adopter)

[RuneSR2]

nalex66 said:

Huh, this actually looks pretty good. Nothing revolutionary, but a nice set of specs and features. This is what the Rift S should have been, in terms of resolution, audio, and features (IPD adjustment and flip-up visor). Price is a little steep compared to Rift S though. I’m not generally a fan of subscription services, but I guess a free year of Viveport would be a way to try some stuff without buying it. 

Anyway, I’m not rushing to move away from the Oculus ecosystem, but hopefully this will put some pressure on Oculus to up their game a bit.

Fully agree - Cosmos simply looks nice, there's really nothing to point at and criticize. Build-quality - from the looks - seems great. I got the same feeling that this is exactly how the Rift-S should have been - and then no one would mind a better name like Rift 2. It might even have stopped me from getting Index - due to all the exclusive Oculus software content and ASW2.  

But I don't think Oculus wants to release anything costing more than about $400, they may have burnt their fingers somewhat badly on the Rift, especially wanting to get 1 billion people in VR. I guess neither HTC nor Valve want 1 billion in VR, but they want to secure that those getting into VR have a really great trip 😉 

[nalex66]

At least for those in the market (and not excited about the compromises of the Rift S or WMR), this looks like a solid all-around choice without going to the extreme of Index. In Canadian dollars, it’s $550 for Rift S, $900-$1000 for Cosmos, or somewhere in the order of $1500 for the Index (if they ever get around to selling it in Canada).

If I was looking to buy something today, I might lean towards Cosmos over Rift S, despite wanting to stay with Oculus. 

[TomCgcmfc]

It will be very interesting to see the Oculus counter punch to the Cosmos.  Maybe some nice surprises coming around OC6?

[Anonymous]

Own the VR market AGAIN? They've owned it since it started and haven't stopped.

Whoever came up with the idea of the controllers not working with the headset when using Lighthouse tracking needs to be sacked tomorrow.

Unless you only play sims motion controls are a key part of VR gaming.

Now I perfectly understand that there'll be issues with the lights on the things but it can't be complicated to have both lights for the inside out tracking AND light sensors on the controllers. Switch off the lights when using Lighthouse base stations. Boom. Job done.

So it's too expensive (compared to the Rift S) and you can't track controllers when using Lighthouse base stations.

If they had this selling for $600 max then it might give the Rift S some competition but I can't see it selling anywhere near as well as the Rift S.

[OmegaM4N]

DaftnDirect said:

Very promising. I'm with you OmegaM4N , will need a good few trusted reviews before jumping to any conclusions but on paper the specs look reasonable for the price which is something I didn't expect to be saying for a device from HTC.

Having said that, I'm not in the market to upgrade just yet.

Well i was happy with the CV1 and was quite happy to keep it for the next few year or two before i looked at the Rift S, but after cablegate for the CV1, and with still no confirmation from Oculus either way, i am now seriously looking into replacing my beloved CV1 and just not take the chance of it becoming a £400 paperweight over the next year due to unforseen cable issues arising, i just feel like i don't want to take the chance at this stage.....plus the Cosmos might even lead to a drop in the Vive bundle, and we have OC6 in a few weeks, so i have a bit of breathing room to see what pans out....but from what i have seen, it does look impressive....this was not even on my radar until now, i thought it was a Quest clone. lol