TPCAST debuts wireless adapter for Oculus Rift in North America

The Rift and a good PC are as affordable as they have ever been, but if a wireless experience is what you want, TPCAST hopes you'll spend a bit more.

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HTC Vive VR headset can go wireless with $220 TPCast ‘upgrade kit’

There’s no word on whether HTC, like Google or Samsung, is planning to develop and commercially release a completely standalone VR hardware system anytime soon, but at least you’ll be able to cut the physical wires connecting the Vive headset to a compatible PC from Q1 2017.

The “breakthrough tether-less VR upgrade kit” allowing the HTC Vive to wirelessly function just as smoothly as it would in a traditional corded setup is technically a third-party peripheral. But it hails from TPCast, a startup company supported by the Vive X Accelerator, a program designed to “help cultivate, foster and grow the global VR ecosystem.”

Otherwise put, the clip-on accessory enjoys HTC’s full backing, and it if garners enough popularity, it may well be integrated into future Vive generations as standard. For now, you’ll have to pay extra to get an early stab at a “seamless tether-less high-end PC VR experience”, and be quick once pre-orders open later today.

Unfortunately, they’ll only do so in China at 11pm Beijing time on Vive’s local website, with initial pricing set at 1,499 RMB, or roughly $220. The wireless VR upgrade kit is billed as a “preview edition”, likely available in limited quantity, with early 2017 deliveries prioritized to existing headset customers providing valid Vive serial numbers.

Once “upgraded”, your immersive headgear shouldn’t exhibit any noticeable latency, running for around 90 minutes cable-free before TPCast’s add-on will require recharging. Still a neat concept.

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