It's hard to do bulleted, concise reviews on something like this.. So this will be a little long winded. Stick with me if you can..
If you were like me, you might be a little hesitant about tech like this, because you tried a GEAR VR, or think 3d desktop gaming and 3d movies are kinda of cool, but certainly not worth this kind of investment. Get that out of your head right now. This is COMPLETELY different.
First, let me say that I've never been a huge gamer. I've spent many more hours on my 10 year old Wii than I have on newly released console/computer games.
I enjoy the interaction even if I'm sacrificing graphical beauty.
This system is kind of like a 5th generation Wii. They are really selling the experience more than the graphics. And the experience is absolutely something to be had.
Kind of like that first time you picked up that wii controller and "bowled" and thought "hey, this is pretty cool." but on a WHOLE new level.
Once you complete the setup you'll enter the tutorial and blow up a balloon.. You'll (without instruction) think.. What happens if I try to hit this floating balloon.. Probably nothing.. but you'll immediately realize how intuitive and accurate this "new world" is when the balloon flies in the direction and velocity you would expect it to based on your hand movement. And sure there are similar capabilities on other consoles. You separate when you realize you can (literally) walk underneath the balloon, look up at it, jump and swat it down to the floor. then walk circles around it while unrelentingly taunting it for obeying physics.
When you play "The lab" and your hand becomes a spaceship in a (truly) 3d realm, you'll really grasp what this thing is all about. I can't imagine how silly it looks in real life with your hand just jerking up and down, left to right, ducking, spinning.. etc. But in the game it really feels like you're in a serious situation and your hand needs to dodge these incoming blobs at all costs.
The longbow game is fun. And you may realize that the controllers are giving haptic feedback when you "pull" the bowstring and release it to give it that additional sense of immersion.
It's these seemingly small, polished edges that make this an incredible product.
You WILL feel immersed. I 100 percent guarantee it. You'll laugh the first time you try to set your gun down on a table in the virtual world.
The setup wasn't bad. Although I didn't find instructions included. I just googled it and followed the 10ish step process from HTC.
Windows 7 wouldn't install the drivers for the "link box" until I put it into the USB 2.0 slots (as others have stated) - the directions state that it's compatible with 2.0+ though. Maybe in later versions of Windows, or perhaps my BIOS settings are "bad". Either way, simple fix.
I had planned on using the single HDMI port that my GTX1060 has since I saw that some people had problems through other connections. The directions stated that you can use a display port to mini display port on the link box but I didn't try it.
So that makes two display ports out. One to my tv/monitor, the other to my receiver which passes the video to a projector, and then the HDMI to the Vive headset. All very seamless.
When you get to the point of powering on all your components (for the first time) you might need to right click one of the controllers in the steam VR window and click "pair controller" (if the controller shows blue when it comes on instead of green). The walkthrough failed to mention that.
The Steam VR software is very polished as well. Especially inside of VR. You can switch to your desktop and read email. When I realized that I could walk closer to my boundary wall that the desktop was on at that time, and the text got closer/clearer, it was an additional level of "that's friggin cool."
This is NOT for reading text like that though. The resolution just isn't there.
Once you've got a Steam account set up, be careful, it's easy to blow through 80 dollars (of real money) in a 4 minute virtual shopping spree.
You can connect your phone via Bluetooth and get notifications. You can enable the camera and see the room without taking the headset off. Plug in ear buds and "mirror" the sound so you can rock out hard to audioshield without waking the neighbors.
You can control pretty much all of the aspects of the virtual world from your 2d monitor. That comes in handy If someone new is using the headset. So you can control the session for them (get them into a game, get them started, etc) without having to walk them through everything - but again, it is pretty intuitive and should be easy to pick up for 90 percent of people.
There are just a lot of features that you can tell they put thought into.
Some complain that a lot of the games are "demo" types, and while that's true. There are several "full" games available, and I haven't even gotten to them, because The Lab, Zombie Trainer, The Brookhaven Experiment, and (especially) AudioShield have me completely satisfied for the time being.
We're all still waiting on the "major" releases of Doom, Fallout 4, Serious Sam, Arizona Sunshine etc. I am curious how games like Serious Sam will work. You're going to break yourself if you're constantly spinning around trying to fend off hordes of suiciders. The action of "teleporting" in large scale games seems to be the goto method for moving around in the world. It's not as intuitive as I'd like and it takes a split second to load the new landscape when you arrive, so it's a little offputting. But that's splitting hairs at this point. I just feel like it's going to be exaggerated when you're in a true "sandbox" world.
There are a few cons.
1. You're going to have a tough time doing true multiplayer with this. You can't just buy another 30 dollar controller and go to town with your friend sitting on the couch next to you. You're looking at another large investment and the space to set up another system. I'm interested to see how games like "Don't stop talking and nobody explodes" work and bring a "crowd" together with one headset. But it's probably not going to be the excitement of being (virtually) back to back with a buddy fighting the terrorists in a FPS.
2. I hope your friends don't mind swapping a large amount of face sweat.
3. The resolution just isn't what it is on a LED monitor. Obviously you're stretching that image out over a 360 degree 3d environment so it's a little tougher to do. So.. Again, you're not doing this for the "crispness". You're doing it for the experience. When you feel like a freaking rockstar defending yourself from incoming musical notes, you won't be thinking about the slight pixilation, or how the graphics in the background aren't super detailed. I PROMISE.
4. I find it a little bit of a pain to get the headset just right on my head. You need to get the straps perfect (not too tight, or loose) to make the area right in front of your face perfectly clear (especially when you're looking down).
5. I don't think the screens are quite big enough. You will probably notice the black ring around the outside of your vision when you're waiting for a game to load or whatever. You'll forget about it as soon as you're doing whatever.
6. I am seriously matting down the new carpet inside of my "game area."
7. You might think that the real world is less fun.
Keep in mind.. That while the software is pretty polished and works well, this type of thing probably isn't for someone who isn't at least a moderate "power user." I've had some minor issues like weird Steam crashes, VR world disappearing if the CPU is under a lot of stress, computer not completing POST when the link box was plugged in. Just stuff that you wouldn't deal with on a console type system. This "limitation" (not the price) is probably why the world isn't screaming about this from the rooftops. The mass population isn't exactly tech savvy so that excludes a major percentage of potential buyers.
All that said....
Honestly, I've got a lot of cool stuff but this is ABSOLUTELY and UNEQUIVOCALLY the coolest tech I've seen or played with in my entire life. I would still be happy with it if I would've needed to fork out an additonal 800 or so to build a computer. Everytime I'm away from it for a day or so, I think "was it really THAT cool?" and I answer my question as soon as I put the headset back on and enter a virtual world for what feels like the first time, every time.
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From the manufacturer
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Play It Your Way
From Seated to Room-Scale
With SteamVR™ Tracking, play seated, standing, or in a 11'5"x11'5" room-scale zone of your creation.
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Accuracy Is Everything
Feel The Difference
Get unrivaled accuracy & precision in VR with VIVE controllers & SteamVR™ Base Stations.
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2160 x 1200 Resolution
Pixel-Packed Displays
Graphics with stunning realism and seamless 90hz refresh rate & a 110° field of view.
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Chaperone
No Walking Into Walls
Outlines the edges of your room-scale zone. Lets you know where you’re at in the real world.
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Enter VIVEPORT Infinity
Play Unlimited VR
Enjoy unlimited access to the classics & must-plays via VIVEPORT Infinity for 6 mos. w/ purchase.
VIVE VR System Accessories
 VIVE Tracker (2018) |  VIVE Wireless Adapter |  VIVE Deluxe Audio Strap |
|---|---|---|
| Bring real objects into VR Add to specially designed accessories to play your favorite supported games. | Cut the cord Free yourself from your PC, Experience wireless VR. PCIe slot required. | Enhance your experience Get integrated audio with height and angle adjustment for optimal fit. |
|
Accessories include gloves, tennis rackets, ping pong paddles, and many more! |
Allows for multi-player VR in the same space - up to 3 headsets. |
Improved weight distribution, size adjustment, and comfort padding. |
Videos
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Videos for this product
5:46
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HTC Vive First Impressions & Review | Best VR Experience
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Dive into Virtual Reality: The Ultimate HTC Vive Headset!
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CES 2016: Digital Trends - HTC Vive Pre VR Headset
CES 2016
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HTC VIVE - Virtual Reality System Unboxing
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CES 2016: Android Authority - HTC Vive VR Headset Preview
CES 2016
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What do I think about this Vive VR System?
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HTC Vive - Virtual Reality Headset
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PC's largest technology leap in decades. This devices innovation will shape the future of VR and our world.
TL:DR- 1) If you own a VR capable PC 2) Are comfortable troubleshooting basic PC/peripheral device issues 3) Are willing to do a bit of research leading into the future of this product developmentThen you should not question if it is worth the price of admission for the Vive. Every time you put on this headset or showcase this to a person who has never experienced VR, it will bring a smile to your face. It's a whole new medium that brings an experience to the table that can be enjoyed by a wide spectrum of age groups and cultures. This is going to change the world.Long Version-I have bought over 300 items off Amazon without ever writing a review, but I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs with praise for this VR system. This is a game changing peripheral device that has the opportunity to change the world and be utilized in various professional industries. If you are reading this and have never used a Vive, it's difficult to describe using words to someone. How do you describe an experience to someone who has never experienced the same art "medium" as you have? Could you imagine trying to describe what it's like to watch TV or a motion picture to someone who has never seen a digital display? The best I have come up with is it's a "total immersion" experience. To sum it up in an example, my parents and grandparents have never had a passing interest in "video games", yet I had to set time limits and a rotation pattern for them because they did not want to take it off!I have never been so satisfied with a compute related purchase in my life. I bought it with the mentality that if I didn't think it was a game changing device, I would return it and wait for it to become mainstream and cheaper. But the moment I put on the headset, jumped into Google Earth VR, traveled to all the countries I visited on a previous deployment while staring at the milky way above my head, I knew I was hooked. It's an awe-inspiring experience each time I turn it on, and this is only the beginning.I use this as a supplement to my iRacing Simulator and DCS Flight Simulator. For the immersion, depth of field, depth perception, and realism, it is worth the price of admission alone. If you are reading this and use either flight simulators or racing simulators, you already know the benefits this device can provide to your training and hobby. It's single handily the best upgrade I have ever done to my simulators and this is by far not the most expensive upgrade I have added to those rigs. If you sim race or use other simulators, this should be on your 2017 upgrade path.Other VR games- The steam store is going to be the future one stop shop for all VR related games. Steam has begun accepting all VR headsets to be used within Steam, and I believe this business strategy will outlast Oculus’s “exclusive” game orientation. We all observed how well that worked for Microsoft, how well do you think it will work for Oculus?Over 80% of the games I use in VR are FREE on the Steam store for early access or testing. Want to go explore the human body? Go download The Body VR and explore the cells within your blood stream. Want to showcase how immerse and large the digital experience can be on the Vive? Go launch The Lab and waste 5 hours of your day. Want to make art with Nebulas in a space sandbox? Fire up Cosmic Sugar VR. Every day, new free or cheap games are being added to Steam. It’s a developer dream right now and almost every major design studio is starting to experiment with these devices.OCULUS VS VIVE- I have extensively used both for both sim racing, flight simulation, and general gaming. We will have to wait and see how the Oculus Touch will pan out, but early reports are showing its room-scale immersion is still lacking compared to the Vive and at a higher price point. In my opinion, the bashing from both sides needs to stop as both are progressing VR forward, but the Vive is on another medium than the Oculus. Using a Xbox controller with VR feels analog, lacking immersion, and dare I say it: last generation. HTC had more forward thinking on the direction of VR in creating this product and they have Oculus backtracking and rushing to develop a solution. Look to HTC to release a second style of controllers in 2017 to start motion tracking fingers without the need to hold a controller and a wireless solution for the “tail” of thick wires connected to the device.We will look back on these moments years from now in the future and people will recount their first experiences when VR launched and I can confidently say I will have been glad I was an early adopter and pushed this technology forward. All aboard the VR train; it's leaving the station with or without you.
