While HTC hasn’t gone in-depth into revealing the features of its new VR headset, the company has revealed that it will make use of cameras on the outer shell of the headset for purposes of tracking and mixed-reality experiences.

HTC global head of product Shen Ye has also revealed that the new headset won’t be as competitively priced as the Meta Quest 2.

We’re in an era when consumer VR headsets have been massively subsidized by companies that are trying to vacuum up and take personal data to provide to advertisers,” Ye said to The Verge. “We don’t believe the way that we want to approach it is to compromise on privacy.”

HTC’s last major VR headset, the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite, was released back in 2020.

While the technology is not quite there yet to break into the mainstream in a major way, virtual reality is still an ongoing project. Several companies have thrown their hat in the ring, hoping to get a part of what will eventually be a pretty good size pie. One of those is HTC and Valve, whose Vive brand has been a constant presence in the VR market. Now a new, slick headset is hitting stores to give VR players more options.

The HTC Vive Cosmos will release in October with a price point of $699.99 USD. The Cosmos is a streamlined take on the hardware that does not require external sensors and fully tracks motion controls. You can check out the video below for more details, and you can check out the specs below.

You can preorder the headset through here, and those that do will get a 12-month Viveport Infinity subscription bundled in. You will also need a computer with the ability to run the headset.

• Resolution: 1440 x 1700 pixels per eye (2880 x 1700 pixels combined)
• Screen: Dual 3.4″ LCD diagonal
• Refresh rate: 90 Hz
• Field of view: 110 degrees
• Audio: Built-in stereo headphones
• Required PC connectivity: USB 3.0, DisplayPort™ 1.2
• Peripheral Ports: USB-C 3.0, proprietary connection to mods
• Tracking: no minimum space requirements for standing/seated, minimum 2m x 1.5m for room-scale mode
• Module Faceplates: Vive Motion Mod (Ships with Cosmos) and Vive Cosmos External Tracking Mod (Sold separately)
• Vive Wireless Adapter support: Yes, sold separately with attaching kit. Available PCIe slot required