GamerMuscle takes a look at the HTC VIVE

VR addict GamerMuscle got his hands on an HTC VIVE virtual reality headset developed by HTC and the Valve Corporation. To test the VIVE, GamerMuscle fired up the Live for Speed racing simulator and performs a talk & drive. After a solid test session, he shares his first impressions of the VIVE and its use with driving simulators. As an Oculus Rift DK2 user, he also points out the differences between the two VR contenders.

The first prototypes of the Valve-produced virtual reality system were demonstrated back in 2014 and is now up for pre-order. Price 899.00 € + Shipping. Pre-orders will start shipping June 2016.

The HTC VIVE has a refresh rate of 90 Hz. and features two screens, each with a resolution of 1080×1200. The VR device uses more than 70 sensors including a MEMS gyroscope, accelerometer and laser position sensors.

The front-facing camera allows the software to identify any moving or static objects in a room. This functionality is used as part of a “Chaperone” safety system, which will automatically display a feed from the camera to the user to safely guide users from obstacles. It will also keep your house from burning down while you are enjoying yourselves in a virtual world.

VIVE Recommended PC Specs:

• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 / AMD Radeon R9 290 equivalent or greater
• CPU: Intel® i5-4590 / AMD FX 8350 equivalent or greater
• RAM: 4GB+
• Video Output: HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2 or newerUSB Po
• rt: 1x USB 2.0 or greater port
• Operating System: Windows 7 SP1 or newer