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Recently unveiled at CES 2023, the HTC Vive XR Elite, the Taiwanese company's flagship VR/AR device, is a direct competitor to the Meta Quest Pro in terms of features and is available at a lower cost. It supports virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, providing users with a wide range of functionalities.
Gone are the days when premium headsets would empty one's pockets. As the market matured and more players joined the space, competition in the Virtual Reality space heated up, which has led to numerous innovations and improvements in the VR space. Last year, Meta launched its flagship Quest Pro, which took the world by storm.
While it reigned free in the flagship segment for a long time, the HTC Vive XR Elite is now a direct competitor that's threatening Meta's throne. This article will take a closer look at both devices and compare them based on the features they offer and their prices.
Comparing the HTC Vive XR Elite with the Meta Quest Pro
Both XR devices are top-of-the-line products, with their solid specs distinguishing them from the rest of the crowd. Being flagship devices, they offer the best-in-class performance and an amazing viewing experience. Here's how they compare:
Spec comparison
The HTC Vive XR Elite is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 processor. Meanwhile, the Meta Quest Pro comes with a slightly better processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+.
However, where the HTC headset defeats the latter is in terms of the display. The Vive XR Elite has a resolution per eye of 1920 x 1920, whereas the Quest Pro only has a resolution per eye of 1800 x 1920. Nevertheless, both displays support a refresh rate of 90 Hz.
When it comes to storage and RAM, the Meta Quest Pro wins by a small margin. While the HTC headset has a storage capacity of 128 GB and 12 GB of RAM, the Quest Pro, on the other hand, boasts 256 GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM.
In terms of battery life, both devices are rated to last up to two hours on a single, full charge. However, the HTC Vive XR Elite comes with a removable battery that is hot-swappable and can be charged.
One unique aspect of the HTC Vive is that it allows users to mirror the content from an Android device's display directly onto the headset. Currently, the Meta Quest Pro doesn't support this feature.
Finally, the overall comfort of usage will determine a VR device's viability in the long run and this is where the Vive XR Elite wins. HTC's device weighs only 1.37 lbs/0.62 kg, whereas the Meta Quest Pro weighs 1.59 lbs/0.72 kg. Although it's only 100 g more, when used for longer periods of time, the XR Elite will be far more comfortable.
Price
The HTC Vive XR Elite is currently available for pre-order at a price of $1,099. Users who pre-order the device by February 15, 2023, will receive five popular titles valued at over US$100. The Meta Quest Pro is currently priced at $1,499, which is around $400 more than HTC's offering.
At this price point, both headsets are targeted at the premium segment of the market, and the features that both devices possess justify that pricing.
Conclusion
This is all there's to know about both of these flagship devices. On paper, the two headsets have almost identical specs and the final results derived from both the XR devices should be similar. As of right now, going by the price and the features, the HTC Vive XR Elite seems to be a step ahead of the Meta Quest Pro. However, only time will tell how both headsets compare in real-life usage.
