Palmer Luckey, founder of Irvine, California-based virtual-reality (VR) technology firm Oculus VR LLC, yesterday visited the HTC Corp (宏達電) booth at the Tokyo Game Show to try out the Taiwanese firm’s VR headset, the HTC Vive.
The presence of Luckey at the exhibition’s special VR pavilion raised eyebrows, as Oculus VR and HTC compete head-to-head in the global VR market.
Google-invested Oculus unveiled its Oculus Rift VR headset in 2012.
Wearing the HTC Vive, Luckey played a new game titled Linked-door Loves Space Channel 5, developed by Japanese telecom operator KDDI Corp.
KDDI’s software is marketed as the world’s first VR game to allow several players to experience it simultaneously.
TOKYO DEBUT
The HTC Vive, jointly developed by HTC and US video game distributor Valve Corp, is one of HTC’s gambits to diversify away from its core smartphone market in the hopes of generating a new revenue stream to turn around its money-losing business.
The headset is equipped with tracked controllers that allow wearers to inspect objects from every angle and interact with their surroundings.
Working with its Japanese partners, the firm has put nearly 20 kinds of content on display for the HTC Vive’s debut at the Tokyo Game Show.
The company said that it expects to attract about 100,000 visitors during the four-day exhibition.
Also at the show, Micro-Star International Co (微星科技) is introducing its VR One, described by the company as the world’s lightest VR backpack PC.
The VR One is to support the HTC Vive.
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