If you’re one of the many people with a pre-ordered edition of the HTC Vive, you’ll be a little surprised to see how different the Vive is now from someone walking into a store to pick it up off the shelf. The last update happened in January and all the little changes came together to form a decent little update.
Here’s what’s changed since the original launch of Vive!
WAY smaller package
Meet the EcoBox, a smaller version of the HTC Vive packaging.
We found the codename hidden in the source code on the HTC website, but the actual packaging is officially known as 77H02568-00M Rev.D. This revision indicator is often confused with a headset revision, but VRHeads has confirmed that it is, in fact, a packaging revision. Either way, EcoBox is a cooler name, and I’m guessing it comes from the total lack of foam inserts in this new package. It’s all cardboard and paper, and will probably save HTC a lot of money on shipping.
Oh and this too much smaller than the launch window. This new box is thinner, lighter, with an actual handle at the top, and will actually fit on store shelves. The difference in the two packages is personally stunning and credits HTC for being at least a little more environmentally friendly.
New 3-in-1 cable
At CES, HTC announced that it is switching to a new 3-in-1 cable, and here it is! It’s thinner, lighter, and far less prone to bunching up when you’re moving around a lot in the middle of a particularly intense game. The cable is also much easier to wind and store, which is good if you don’t always have a Vive and it’s ready to play.
Luckily, you don’t need a new Vive for this. For $40 you can get a new cable right away.
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Lighter headset
If you unplug the cables, the initial version of the HTC Vive will cost 570g or 1lb 4oz. The January revision of the HTC Vive watch costs 490g, which is just over 1 pound.
HTC says this weight reduction was the unintended result of using a different parts supplier for some of the hardware inside the headset. Maybe a new display was used, or maybe a different plastic was used to hold everything together, but either way, the 80g difference means a more comfortable fit overall.
fastener fastener
The Vive launcher, on the left, has a fabric pad to hold cables running from the top of the headset to the sync box. The Vive on the right uses a plastic clasp that is much more durable and won’t wear as obviously as the original design.
It’s a fairly small change, but the new version looks and feels much better. It also makes removing the top panel much easier, as the fasteners provide a bit of extra leverage when pulling out the top.
