HTC VIVE Flow – VR glasses designed to relieve stress and improve our mental state

Yesterday, the first images of the HTC VIVE Flow appeared on the web. Renders suggested that we would take on standalone VR glasses at a fairly affordable price. I must admit that I was also very optimistic about this tool, as I patiently await the worthy successors of the Oculus Quest 2. Today’s official presentation of the device showed, however, that we are dealing with something very different than many thought. HTC VIVE Flow is not a universal VR goggle. Rather, it is meant to be a device, the use of which calms our nerves and general mental state. The product read: “They are the best travel companion, a private cinema, a personal assistant for well-being, a haven of peace and a meeting place for friends” …

HTC VIVE Flow should be a kind of escape from the stress of everyday life. We just put them on and… we go to a tropical forest for a guided meditation session or run an app that helps us fall asleep.

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HTC VIVE Flow will allow for immersive virtual reality experiences through the Viveport.com platform. It’s not only a (paid) game library but also a (paid) apps for meditation or virtual “travel”. The glasses will also allow you to meet friends and colleagues in virtual environments on the VIVE Sync platform. Controllers will not be needed, because we will connect the chassis to our smartphone via Bluetooth. So, it is the smartphone with the appropriate mobile application that will take over the role of the console. Of course, the fact that VIVE Flow is not intended for gaming does not make it a pointless product. The manufacturer has smuggled some interesting solutions into the glasses, such as the built-in diopter shields, thanks to which almost every user will be able to adjust the sharpness of the image to the defect of his eye. Roughly, because I doubt the animated episodes will also take into account astigmatism flaws (the shows don’t suggest that). For interesting facts, we also have an active cooling system that removes excess warm air from the face.

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The glasses are also supposed to entice with lightness and comfort, which is hard to find in the case of classic VR glasses. The VIVE Flow weighs 189 grams and thanks to its flexible double-hinged temples, it should fit any head size. Among the main elements of the specifications we can find information about a field of view equal to 100 degrees, memory 4 + 64 GB, refresh rate at 75 Hz, stereo speakers that support surround sound, dual microphones with noise reduction and finally two 6DoF mode cameras on the front. The image, in turn, will be displayed at a resolution of 1600 x 1600 for each eye, which is less than in the case of the already mentioned Quest 2. In short – HTC VIVE Flow is a kind of escape from the stresses of everyday life. We just put them on and… we go to a tropical forest for a guided meditation session or run an app that helps us fall asleep.

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Everything is great, unfortunately, the glasses are priced at PLN 2699 (pre-sale has just begun). In addition, to enjoy its functionality, you need to purchase specific applications or subscribe to one of the plans on Viveport.com. For example, the Infinity Vista plan costs €5.99 per month and allows unlimited access to the library with apps. I think that price is why the YouTube Glasses video (below) has so many paws. No PC connection, ridiculously low resolution (for glasses that would be overwhelming and immersed), limited functionality … Oculus Quest 2, currently costs around 1900 PLN and offers all this, and more. In the case of HTC VIVE Flow, it is very good that no one is forcing us to connect to Facebook. I think VIVE Flow will find its niche among consumers, but the breakthrough will not happen …

Source: HTC