HTC Vive Focus 3 Review

We thought it was the right time to review the HTC Vive Focus 3, to see if the Taiwanese headset-maker has taken the right steps to establish itself as one of the leading Enterprise VR headset providers. The HTC Vive Focus 3 has received some significant upgrades over its predecessor the HTC Vive Focus Plus, such as more processing power, increased refresh rate and improved tracking capabilities, putting it on par with the Oculus Quest 2 and Pico Neo 3 Pro. The question remains is the HTC Vive Focus 3 able to be the best business VR headset?

In this comprehensive review of the HTC Vive Focus 3 we will take a deeper look at the following points:

• Pros and cons
• Specifications
• What is in the box
• Design and comfort
• Ease of use
• Power and Performance
• Display
• Tracking
• Memory
• Operating system
• Sound
• Controllers
• Streaming
• Price
• Conclusion

Pros and cons of the HTC Vive Focus 3

Specifications

The HTC Vive Focus 3 has the following specifications:

• Display: LCD
• Refresh rate: 90 Hz
• Resolution: 2448×2448 pixels per eye
• Field of view: 120 degrees horizontal
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2
• Memory: 128GB supports up to 2TB MicroSD
• RAM: 8 GB
• Weight: 785g
• Material: Plastic
• Tracking: Inside-out tracking with 4 integrated cameras
• Controllers: 2x 6DoF motion controllers

What’s in the box

The HTC Vive Focus 3 comes in a nicely designed black box, which is arranged in such a way that everything is easy to unpack. The box of the HTC Vive Focus 3 is considerably bigger, compared to the one of the Pico Neo 3. On one side the box has an image that shows you what is inside the box. When the box is opened there is a QR code on the side of the lid which takes you to HTC’s tutorial page, which offers instructions in 12 languages on the website.

The following items can be found in the box:

• HTC Vive Focus 3 headset
• 2x Controllers
• 2x Lanyards
• Splitter cable (for charging only)
• AC adapter
• Cleaning cloth
• Guides and warranty forms

Design and comfort

HTC has changed the design quite a lot compared to the predecessor. While the Vive Focus Plus was designed in white, the Vive Focus 3 now comes in an elegant black. In addition, the Focus Plus only had two built-in cameras on the front, while the Focus 3 has four integrated cameras, 2 on the top and two on the bottom of the headset.

Further, the headband of the device has been changed. The previous model had a 3-part headstrap, which has now been replaced with a more natural headband system on the HTC Vive Focus 3. A similar system can also be seen in the Pico Neo 3 Pro, for example.

HTC has put a lot of thought into how the weight should be distributed between the headset itself and the battery. The Focus 3 has the battery in the back of the headset so that not all of the weight is pressing down on the front of the face. The battery can be found behind the cushion of the headband.

The headband is also easy to adjust with the adjustment dial, which is located at the rear of the headset. It can also be quickly adjusted by the button below the dial, once the button is pressed the headset can be adjusted freely without turning the dial. 

The strap of the HTC Vive Focus 3 is designed to ensure that even after more than 1 hour of use the headset still sits comfortably on the user’s head unlike the Oculus Quest 2 which is no longer comfortable to wear after around 30 min of use. The HTC Vive Focus 3 is also made of a material that is easy to clean, which is why it is easy to use hygienically by several people.

The interpupillary distance (IPD) can be set between 57 and 72 millimeters to increase the sharpness of the image. Adjusting the IPD can help with motion sickness and reading text to improve the headset experience. If needed, a spacer can be placed between the face pad and the headset if the user wears glasses, this can easily be done by simply pulling the face pad off the magnets. 

Ease of use

When you want to turn on the HTC Vive Focus 3 for the first time, it can be a bit confusing that the power button is located at the back of the headband, where the device’s battery is also installed. However, once you figure this out, it should no longer be a problem.

Just like the Pico Neo 3, the HTC Vive Focus 3 can also be configured without creating an account which is a big advantage when you look at the Oculus Quest 2 which requires a Facebook account to use the device. It is important however that if the user wants to purchase an app from the Vive Business AppStore, an HTC account must be created.

Setting up the boundary system is very easy. When setting up the boundary, you can choose between a stationary sitting/standing set up or draw on the ground for a room-scale play area.

Power and Performance

The HTC Vive Focus 3 uses the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2, which is an upgrade to the Snapdragon 835 that is built-in to the Vive Focus Plus. The newer chipset provides much improved performance. The Oculus Quest 2 and Pico Neo 3 both have the same processor installed and therefore have similar performance to the Vive Focus 3. Together with the increased refresh rate from 75 to 90 Hz, the content on the HTC Vive Focus 3 looks even smoother and more realistic. 

Display of the HTC Vive Focus 3

The HTC Vive Focus 3 has a 5K LCD Screen that offers a resolution of 2448 x 2448 pixels per eye. Thanks to the 90 Hz LCD Screen and its 120° field of view, the screen is very sharp and very smooth. The HTC Vive Focus 3 is also clearly ahead in terms of field of view compared to the 98° and 97° of the Pico Neo 3 and Oculus Quest 2, respectively. The HTC Vive Focus 3’s wide field of view and refresh rate of 90 Hz make the experience even more realistic and immersive.

The refresh rate determines how often the headset refreshes the image. The higher the refresh rate the smoother the image runs, giving a better experience for the user and prevents motion sickness. 90 Hz is the generally accepted norm for a satisfactory refresh rate for standalone devices. It must be said though that the Oculus Quest 2 is capable of 120 Hz and the Pico Neo 3 has a beta release that allows for 120 Hz usage.

Tracking

The HTC Vive Focus 3 is a 6DoF (Degrees of Freedom) headset that uses inside-out tracking with 4 integrated cameras. This gives the user the full VR experience without the need for external sensors and cables. With the HTC Vive Focus 3 it is also possible to control the headset via hand tracking that is built into the headset. This was originally not available on the headset at launch but was added in an update near the end of 2021.

Hand tracking is a feature that is also available on the Oculus Quest 2. However, with the Pico Neo 3 hand tracking is not available. It must be said that the Oculus Quest 2 still remains the leader in hand tracking of the 3 devices mentioned, however HTC is expected to continue improving the capabilities on the Vive Focus 3.

There has been an improvement in the generality of the device tracking if we look back at the previous model. The HTC Vive Focus Plus only has 2 cameras compared to the 4 cameras of the HTC Vive Focus 3. The 4 cameras are first of all better by the sheer fact of being 4 instead of 2, as well as being more modern cameras and being placed more evenly over the new device. This allows the tracking to cover a larger area and provide more accuracy as 4 cameras are tracking the controller giving 4 data points instead of 2.

Memory

The storage in the headset is 128 GB which can be expanded by inserting a MicroSD card into the headset. The MicroSD also allows you to move data quickly from headset to headset. This is something its competitors do not have. It must be said though the 128 GB is much lower than the standard 256 GB found on the Pico Neo 3 Pro.

The HTC Vive Focus 3 has 8 GB of RAM (Computer’s short-term memory) to help move quickly and efficiently through all the apps.

Operating system

Like its predecessor, the HTC Vive Focus 3 runs on an Android operating system. This allows the headset to be easily customized by developers for specific applications. The same operating system can also be found on the Oculus Quest 2 and Pico Neo 3.

The big advantage of the HTC Vive Focus 3 and Pico Neo 3 over the Oculus Quest 2 is that the Quest 2 requires you to sign in with a Facebook account to use the headset. Especially for enterprise clients, this is a major downside.

Sound

The HTC Vive Focus 3 comes with two built-in stereo speakers. These are capable of giving the user a 3D sound experience. Compared to the Pico Neo 3 Pro and Oculus Quest 2, the Vive Focus 3 has a much better sound and thus provides a more realistic and immersive sound experience.

In addition to the speakers, the HTC Vive Focus 3 features a 3.5 mm audio jack, so the headset can be enhanced with various headphones. The headset also features Bluetooth 5.0 support, so external headsets and speakers can be easily connected wirelessly. These features can also be found on the Neo 3 and Quest 2.

Controllers

The HTC Vive Focus 3 has also seen a significant upgrade to its controllers compared to the HTC Vive Focus Plus. The controllers have gone for a similar layout to that of the Oculus Quest 2, however the controllers of the Quest 2 are slightly smaller and compact.

The new Vive Focus 3 controllers have a round handle with only 2 buttons, much less than the 4 found on the predecessor and similar to that found on Meta Quest 2. The new controller is much more comfortable in the hands compared to its predecessor. The headset maker has once again chosen a circular halo design on the top of the controller. The radius of the new controller’s halo is much bigger than the halo of its predecessor but also feels more fragile. The controller is also nearly identical to the Quest 2 and Pico Neo 3 coming with a joystick, 2 action buttons and a home button.

The new controllers have now also got internal batteries so that the user does not have to replace the batteries but only charge them with the included USB-C cable. The controllers can last up to 15 hours which can be very convenient for trade shows or work environments.

Streaming

The HTC Vive Focus 3 has also included a streaming feature to enhance the non-cabled VR experience with PC VR games and applications. The wireless streaming feature also makes it possible to use a larger playing area when using PC VR applications because there is no limitation due to cable length. The software that can be used for the PC can be found on the VIVE website.

It is also possible to stream via cable with the same software. The VIVE business streaming cable is used for a more stable experience when it comes to streaming PC VR games and applications. 

By streaming content through a VR PC, it is possible to play SteamVR content on the HTC Vive Focus 3. However, streaming via PC requires a very powerful computer. Computers with insufficient computing power can only display content with delays and stutters, which makes the VR experience unenjoyable.

Price

The price of the HTC Vive Focus 3 is currently 1,249 euros, while it’s predecessor, the Focus Plus, only costs 804 euros. For comparison: The Oculus Quest 2 is available in two variants. With 128 GB of storage, Facebook’s VR headset costs 349 Euros, and with 256 GB, the device is available for 449 Euros.

On the other hand, the Pico Neo 3 Pro, which has similar features to the Oculus Quest 2 but does not require Facebook login, is also significantly cheaper than the HTC Vive Focus 3 at €599. The main difference being the 2 year Vive Business Warranty Service included with the Vive Focus 3, which offers many enterprise benefits.

Conclusion

In the review of the HTC Vive Focus 3, we can still conclude that they have delivered another excellent enterprise VR product. The latest HTC headset not only scores with performance and comfort, but also offers users other practical features, such as hand tracking and WiFi streaming.

Compared to one of its biggest competitors, the Oculus Quest 2, the HTC Vive Focus 3 more than holds its own, as HTC’s device has one major advantage over Facebook’s VR headset. It is accessible to everyone without requiring a Facebook account to use the device. However, you still need a Vive account for your company in order to use the device.

In conclusion if you are looking for a device and need a full enterprise suite of solutions that comes with a price then the Focus 3 is the headset best suited to your enterprise. However, if you are looking for a headset and do not need the added Warranty and Enterprise Suite then the Pico Neo 3 Pro is the device for you.