HTC to introduce a lightweight AR headset to compete Meta Quest

SAN FRANCISCO: Taiwanese consumer electronics company High Tech Computer Corporation (HTC) has planned to introduce a new lightweight flagship augmented reality (AR) headset next year at Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which will compete with Meta Quest.

The company is not planning to unveil full details until CES on January 5 next year, reports The Verge.

Shen Ye, HTC's global head of product told The Verge that the company is trying to achieve a small, lightweight all-in-one headset that will provide users with a full-featured AR and virtual reality (VR).

"It's about taking all of these advances that we made in not only the design aspects, but also the technology aspects and building it into something that's meaningful and that's appealing for consumers," Ye said.

The unnamed headset features a goggles-like look with front and side-facing cameras.

Customers will be able to use the headset for gaming, entertainment, exercise and "even some of the more powerful use cases," including productivity and enterprise tools, Ye said.

It will have a two-hour battery life, be entirely self-contained and allow hand tracking in addition to controllers with six degrees of freedom.

One of the headset's main features will be outward-facing cameras that pass a colour video feed to users' screens, which will enable mixed-reality experiences.