HTC Corp (宏達電) is to hold a virtual reality (VR) developers’ conference for the first time in Taipei on Thursday next week as part of its efforts to enrich content for its VR device, the Vive.
The company has held such conferences in Beijing, Shengzhen and Shanghai, as well as in Seattle, over the past two years to improve the Vive’s user experience and content.
“The event in Taipei will offer a platform for developers with expertise in different areas to exchange views on VR technologies, marketing and resources for development at the company’s headquarters in New Taipei City,” HTC said in a statement on Sunday.
HTC will provide a software development kit for the Vive and share its insights on VR applications in global markets with developers, in a bid to help them to shorten the process of developing new content for the product, HTC VR new technology division vice president Raymond Pao (鮑永哲) said in the statement.
HTC also plans to launch the Vive Tracker and Vive Deluxe Audio Strap — accessories for the Vive — next month, allowing developers to build more immersive VR content, the firm said.
Chang Chia-lin (張嘉臨), the president of HTC’s smartphone and connected devices business, on Feb. 14 said that the company would this year focus on expanding the ecosystem for the Vive with creative content.
Chang said the key to growing HTC’s VR business is not only to sell the device, but also to offer a wide range of content and applications to attract consumers.
HTC said it hopes its VR business will offset the weakness in its smartphone business and help the company return to profit, although it has refrained from disclosing shipment figures for the headset or its margin.
According to statistics released by SuperData Research on Jan. 5, HTC shipped 420,000 Vive headsets last year, which is slightly higher than HSBC Securities Taiwan Corp’s estimate of 400,000 units.
Samsung Electronics Co’s Gear VR topped global VR device shipments with 4.51 million units last year while Sony Corp’s PlayStation VR came second with 750,000 units, followed by HTC’s Vive, the statistics showed.
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