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HTC vive is in trouble. The tech is basically licensed from valve (I say licensed, valve give it away for free I believe). There are multiple competing headsets

HTC vive is in trouble. The tech is basically licensed from valve (I say licensed, valve give it away for free I believe). There are multiple competing headsets (LG) due for release soon also licensing the valve lighthouse tech. But no one is interested in the HTC app store, everyone gets their content from valve via steam. So HTC can't sell their headset as a loss leader and make the money back on games, because they don't have any monopoly on the games channel. The other major competitor Oculus is owned by Facebook who basically have infinite money. They have undercut the price of the vive significantly (presumably selling it at a loss) and throw money at all the studios to make Oculus exclusive content. I have a vive, I think it's amazing tech. I think the lighthouse technology is far more promising than the camera tracking used by Oculus. I far prefer the open philosophy, and the strategy of not making content hardware exclusive. I want it to succeed (and maybe it will via other partners with valve). But right now, i think HTC are going to struggle to make it work for them.

aphextron 9y ago
> I think the lighthouse technology is far more promising than the camera tracking used by Oculus. This is the real secret sauce for Vive, and it's completely designed and owned by Valve. Combined with their lackluster new phone, I think the future is pretty grim for HTC.
- Al-Khwarizmi 9y ago
  Lackluster new phone except for the awesome screen, top notch specs, nice battery life, comfortable UI close to stock Android, zero lag in the UI (ahem, Samsung, are you listening?), lightning fast fingerprint reader at a comfortable position at the front (still there, Samsung?), great camera (best mobile camera according to dxomark), rather handy "squeezable" option (customizable, as opposed to e.g. Bixby button), best sound in any smartphone hands down, impressive noise-cancelling in-ear headphones included (this comes from an owner of the Bose QC25's), and quick charge 3. But yeah, it has bezels and now the latest fad is bezelless (making phones more prone to break on falls and to accidentally touching the screen if you grab them incorrectly). Plus it's not Samsung and they don't have money to put all the tremendously biased smartphone press in their favor. So it is automatically labelled as lackluster, like everything HTC has made for the last 5 years or so, including fantastic and innovative phones like the M7, M8 and 10. Meanwhile, others make phones that freaking explode and still get undivided praise by the press.
  - andybak 9y ago
    If I wasn't averse to paying flagship prices I'd be a HTC customer. They deserve credit for the innovation they brought to smartphones pre-iPhone and they've never released a stinker (I'll give the Dream a free pass for being a v1) But mid-range is where it's at, unless you're Samsung or Apple. There's not room for two premium brands and I don't have a need for an $800 device when the $400 devices are so good.
AlphaSite 9y ago
HTC basically owns the China market, that’s what they’re betting on.

aphextron 9y ago

> I think the lighthouse technology is far more promising than the camera tracking used by Oculus. This is the real secret sauce for Vive, and it's completely designed and owned by Valve. Combined with their lackluster new phone, I think the future is pretty grim for HTC.

Al-Khwarizmi 9y ago
Lackluster new phone except for the awesome screen, top notch specs, nice battery life, comfortable UI close to stock Android, zero lag in the UI (ahem, Samsung, are you listening?), lightning fast fingerprint reader at a comfortable position at the front (still there, Samsung?), great camera (best mobile camera according to dxomark), rather handy "squeezable" option (customizable, as opposed to e.g. Bixby button), best sound in any smartphone hands down, impressive noise-cancelling in-ear headphones included (this comes from an owner of the Bose QC25's), and quick charge 3. But yeah, it has bezels and now the latest fad is bezelless (making phones more prone to break on falls and to accidentally touching the screen if you grab them incorrectly). Plus it's not Samsung and they don't have money to put all the tremendously biased smartphone press in their favor. So it is automatically labelled as lackluster, like everything HTC has made for the last 5 years or so, including fantastic and innovative phones like the M7, M8 and 10. Meanwhile, others make phones that freaking explode and still get undivided praise by the press.
- andybak 9y ago
  If I wasn't averse to paying flagship prices I'd be a HTC customer. They deserve credit for the innovation they brought to smartphones pre-iPhone and they've never released a stinker (I'll give the Dream a free pass for being a v1) But mid-range is where it's at, unless you're Samsung or Apple. There's not room for two premium brands and I don't have a need for an $800 device when the $400 devices are so good.

AlphaSite 9y ago

HTC basically owns the China market, that’s what they’re betting on.