HTC Vive User Review

Virtual reality is still very much in its infancy, but if you have the extra bucks, the HTC Vive is going to give you the best experience bar none. Fortunately, I’ve had the privilege to have had my first VR experience in the early 90’s so I have a healthy bar of comparisons. I purchased the Oculus Rift DK1 just as soon as I could and I immediately threw down for the Playstation VR as any fanboy would.

The Oculus and Playstation VR were ok, but I expected more.

Soon, I started reading about the HTC Vive. The more I read, the more I really wanted to own one. When I eventually had the money to spend on a great computer for work, I began looking for a nice machine that could also benchmark well for VR.

I opted to go with a 4.0ghz Intel i7, the Asus GeForce GTX 1080, an ASUS performance motherboard, a fast SSD for the boot drive, 16GB ram, Corsair liquid cooling, and some fun blue neons for good measure.

It’s all stuffed in a black faceless case.

After the VR-ready computer was built, I was ready for Vive.

It took me a few months but eventually I found myself compulsively ordering the Vive after a late night binge session of For Honor.

The shipping was fast and soon I had my Vive.

The unboxing went beautifully. The HTC Vive arrives in extremely nice packaging that matches the great build quality. Within the box was a headset, a link box, two controllers, two IR receivers, and cables – lots and lots of cables. Installation is simple enough as long as you use HDMI (MiniDP is not compatible with all cards yet). MiniDP was incompatible with the GTX 1080.

Since installation, I’ve run into numerous little glitches here and there, but after resolving the issues I finally had a chance to use the unit as intended.

My thoughts? The HTC Vive is one badass $@!$$%.

Because it opens up the opportunity for indie developers to create games and VR experiences, it’s a “virtual crapshoot” when looking for great software. The Vive hardware, however, is rock solid.

The headset fits comfortably on your head and adjusts with velcro. The IPD is very easily set with a small knob on the right side. The face padding feels comfortable and creates a nice seal, blocking out any outside light that could interfere with the VR experience. This was a welcome touch after using the light-filled PlaystationVR.

The two IR receiver units are perhaps one of the most important components and are built very well. They have an extremely sleek, elegant feel. They have moving internal parts so be sure to place them in a secure location. The slight vibration could cause them to vibrate off of a shelf if not placed on a stand.

Additionally, it might take some time to find the right setup and base station placements if you plan on using this in a room with existing furniture. The two base stations need a constant line of sight with one another and you should also avoid placing them where anything can block a view of the floor and play area.

Ideally, you’d want to use three base station units. An extra unit will set you back roughly $150. I’m thinking about getting a third base unit for tracking.

Two work fine if placed properly.

Using three would provide the most optimum (triangular) tracking setup.

The software is relatively easy to install and, if you have the space, room setup is fairly simple. You draw out the space in your room that you want to use for VR and the software will draw these boundaries for you in-game. These “chaperone bounds” can be a lifesaver at times if you have furniture just outside the play zone.

Smashing a 4K smart TV while slaying zombies is very uncool.

The HTC Vive controllers are very nicely done. They fit comfortably in your hand and have a good amount of weight without feeling too bulky.

The controllers fit well in most average hands.

I purchased a neoprene cover for my headset and controllers. It provides added comfort and protection for the controllers and also protects the headset from extra vibrations or scratching. You’ll find that in many games you bring your hands to your head. Many times this causes you to accidentally smack yourself in the head with the controller. You’ll appreciate the added gear protection for $20.

The HTC Vive is generally controlled via SteamVR. SteamVR provides a nice interface for tweaking settings on the headset. By default, the camera will not be turned on. You will need to do this via the settings in SteamVR. Other settings include reprojection, audio device selection, and microphone settings. The Vive comes with a built in microphone, which is useful for online play.

The amount of available software for the HTC Vive is satisfying. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of VR titles available on Steam. They are not all worth purchasing, however. To be honest, out of the 85 total VR titles I have purchased since obtaining the Vive, less than ten are good. This isn’t always the developer’s fault, however. VR is a matter of personal preference.

For example, Valkyrie is a fantastic VR title, but the 360 degree freedom of motion makes me sick. The same goes for Subnautica. Both are gorgeous games I would highly recommend, but only for a person who does not generally get motion sickness with those types of VR experiences.

The HTC Vive makes me feel extremely hopeful about the future of not only virtual reality, but wearable technology as a whole. It is almost frightening how realistic some of the simulations can feel on the HTC Vive, and some of the horror titles are absolutely incredible. I would not recommend it for a casual gamer or a person unfamiliar with troubleshooting issues on a PC, however.

The Vive is a fantastic piece of hardware, but I can not honestly say my experience was trouble free. At times, the Steam updates can cause your Vive to break. Developers are free to use virtually any engine they’d like to produce VR titles (esp. the ultra buggy Unreal Engine). Anyone using an Nvidia card probably has Game-Ready drivers downloading daily. The combination of those things can cause software nightmares, so the Vive is not for people who are not computer savvy.

Also, setting up and getting in the zone for gameplay can take a while, especially if you are setting it up and helping others use it. The Vive is not something you just casually toss on your face and then load up software and go. Usually, you need to adjust the cords (which are ungodly long), clear the floor space, make sure the tracking units are good to go, load a game, then wait forever. The wait times in some of the titles is completely horrendous.

Plenty of patience is also required for this experience.

All in all, I am very satisfied with my HTC Vive, despite the issues described above. I’ve been around since the beginning of VR and have suffered through many attempts at its birth. The HTC Vive offers a level of immersion unlike any others I have tried on the market. The infrared tracking system is fantastic and simply blows away the tracking on both the Oculus and Playstation VR.

The amount of quality software has also improved since I purchased my HTC Vive nearly 60 days ago. This makes me excited to see what the future of VR will bring. I, for one, am quite pleased that whatever the future of VR is, I will be experiencing it on an HTC Vive. If you have a few extra dollars to spend on a VR unit, the HTC Vive is definitely the one I recommend.

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