HTC today announced at CES new developments to the Vive VR system that represent the next step in bringing virtual reality to a mass-market. HTC claims that the Vive Pre creates "fully immersive experiences that change how we communicate, how we are entertained, and how we learn and train."

"When we first announced Vive ten months ago we had an ambitious goal of fundamentally changing the way people communicate and interact with the world - forever," comments Cher Wang, chairwoman and CEO, HTC. "Since then Vive has received a phenomenally positive reception from media, industry commentators, consumers, and the hundreds of partners and brands we've been working with to deliver inspiring and dynamic VR content. For too long, the promise of virtual reality has been little more than a promise. Today we stand on the precipice of a new era. Vive is creating a world where the only limit is human imagination."

The refreshed design of the Vive headset has been refined to offer greater comfort to the wearer, increasing the sense of immersion in the virtual worlds it creates. The headset is now more compact and features an updated strap design that provides greater stability and balance. An improved visual system with brighter displays and image refinements leads to increased clarity, and an even deeper sense of presence. On the inside, interchangeable foam inserts and nose gaskets mean the Vive Pre fits comfortably and securely to the user. Vive Pre can also be adjusted to suit a variety of facial shapes while remaining compatible with a variety of eyeglasses.

Integrated front facing camera merges the physical and virtual Vive Pre brings elements of the real world into the VR realm. A newly developed front facing camera allows you to do more both inside and outside your Virtual world by blending physical elements into the virtual space. Being able to take a seat, find your drink, and carry on conversations without removing your headset is only the beginning of what's possible.

The Vive's controllers have been overhauled and enhanced with updated ergonomics and softer edges, greater balance, new textured buttons, and grip pads for a more comfortable feel in the hand. The new dual stage trigger makes interaction with objects smoother, and haptic feedback delivers feedback about your interactions with the virtual world. For power, the controllers now feature integrated rechargeable lithium polymer batteries with micro-USB charging that provides over 4 hours of runtime on a single charge.

The Vive base stations have also been redesigned to be more compact, quieter, and provide improved tracking.

The HTC Vive will be the first VR hardware to support SteamVR. Created by Valve, Steam VR tracking and the Chaperone system are optimized for use with Steam, one of the largest online platforms for PC, Linux and Mac games and software.

HTC will be showcasing VR applications at CES 2016. Automotive manufacturer Audi has created a retail experience where consumers can explore their dream car with virtual reality, and Dassault Systemes, the 3DEXPERIENCE company, will showcase how it is developing the future of 3D product design in VR. HTC is also showcasing a new brand for Vive at CES 2016.

While Vive is scheduled for commercial launch in April 2016, HTC and Valve will be starting the new year by making an additional 7,000 units available to developers.

UA HealthBox

Also at CES, HTC and Under Armour unveiled UA HealthBox, a connected fitness system that measures, monitors, and manages the most important drivers of health and fitness - sleep, fitness, activity and nutrition.

Designed and manufactured by HTC and powered by UA Record, UA HealthBox includes a fitness band, heart rate monitor and a smart scale that all connect with UA Record to provide insights related to health and fitness. The new UA Record is available for download from the Google Play store and App Store.

With an HTC smartphone, or other Android or iOS smartphone, UA Record serves as the dashboard for daily activities that dictate how you feel.

UA Band is designed to be worn all-day, every day. It tracks daily activity, workouts and sleep. All day activity capture allows you to set a daily goal and track progress on the band. Designed with athletes in mind, the band offers a workout mode with a display that stays on during the workout, as well as an LED that indicates heart rate zone when paired with UA Heart Rate. UA Band comes in black with a red textured underside to allow for moisture wicking.

UA Heart Rate is a compact heart rate monitor with a micro snap technology designed to make it undetectable during workouts. The chest strap and removable sensor helps individuals monitor intensity and train smarter. The UA Heart Rate was created to provide an accurate calculation of calories burned.

UA Scale is a Wi-Fi enabled scale with a circular design. The scale utilizes a sheet of glass with advanced conductive paint technology that enables weight and body fat percentage readings. The hidden LED display behind the glass makes technology invisible when not in use. The scale can support up to eight users and syncs with the UA Record app for individuals to view trends with weight as part of their overall dashboard.

UA HealthBox will be available on January 22 in the U.S. with pre-orders beginning today on www.HTC.com, www.UA.com and at Under Armour Brand House locations. UA HealthBox (including UA Band, UA Heart Rate and UA Scale) will cost $400. UA HealthBox will roll out to additional US retailers in the first quarter and internationally throughout 2016.

UA HEALTHBOX specs

• Size
  • UA Band:17.5 mm(W) x 11.2 mm(T), Long strap: 244.1mm, Short strap: 204.1mm
  • UA Scale: 360 mm(W) x 35.9 mm(T)
  • UA Heart Rate: 38.6 mm(W) x 15.1 mm(T)
    
• Connectivity
  • UA Band: Bluetooth, BLE
  • UA Scale: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, BLE
  • UA Heart Rate: BLE
    
• Water Protection
  • UA Band: 2ATM
  • UA Heart Rate: IPX7
• Display
  • UA Band: 1.36" PMOLED
  • UA Scale: 36.2 mm x 121 mm
    
• Sensors
  • UA Scale: 4 Load Cell Sensors, Capacity 396 lbs(180 kg)
  • UA Heart Rate: Skin Detection
    
• Notifications
  • UA Band: Vibrator
  • UA Scale: Speaker for notification tone
  • UA Heart Rate: LED for Workout
• Memory
  • UA Band: 8MB Flash, 4MB SRAM
  • UA Scale: 2MB Flash, 128KB SRAM
    
• Battery
  • UA Band: 110 mAh (embedded)
  • UA Scale: 4 x AA (included)
  • UA Heart Rate: 220 mAh (CR2032)
    
• Additional Features
  • UA Band: Motion G-Sensor, Gyro sensor
  • UA Scale: Support Over the Air to update scale functionality
  • UA Heart Rate: Motion G-Sensor
  • Support Over the Air to update heart rate band functionality