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In this article, we compare two leading enterprise VR headsets: the Lenovo ThinkReality VRX and the HTC Vive Focus 3. We’ll evaluate their design and build quality, display and optics, performance, software, user experience, along with pricing and value proposition. This comparison aims to help enterprises decide which headset best meets their specific needs and industry applications.
Materials and aesthetics
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX is constructed using durable plastic and a foam facial interface. The plastic material is designed to withstand frequent handling and cleaning, in case the headset needs to be shared in the office or with customers. The design is sleek and professional, and comes in black.
The HTC Vive Focus 3 is built of premium black magnesium alloy chassis, a strong and lightweight material. The design features moisture-proof materials and faux-leather face padding. The magnesium alloy is extra durable but also helps with heat dissipation, which is often a concern for user comfort during extended sessions of use.
Weight and balance
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX weighs approximately 830 grams, so it’s on the heavier side. But thanks to the battery-counterbalanced head strap, the weight is evenly distributed across the user’s head. The front-heavy feel is minimized and doesn’t cause much neck strain.
The HTC Vive Focus 3 is also heavier at 785 grams, and is similarly designed with a counterbalanced head strap. The headset has a mechanical dial for precise fit adjustments to fit various head sizes and shapes. The balanced design has an even weight distribution, and is suitable for extended use without causing significant discomfort.
Comfort features
Speaking of comfort, the Lenovo ThinkReality VRX includes a padded retractable head strap and an additional rubber band for extra support and stable fit on the head. The headset’s special feature is an active cooling system that channels heat away from the user’s face. And while the fan is effective, it does produce noticeable noise, but according to users it is acceptable given the reduced discomfort from overheating.
The HTC Vive Focus 3 enhances comfort with a head strap design, which fits more like a baseball cap. It includes an adjustable IPD (interpupillary distance) dial that allows users to set the lens spacing according to their eye distance. The face gasket is swappable and made from moisture-resistant materials that are easy to clean, and also help manage sweat and maintain hygiene.
In terms of design and build quality, both headsets are engineered well to balance weight and enhance user comfort. The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX is robust, with durable construction and an extra cooling system. The HTC Vive Focus 3 is built of premium high-quality materials, and can easily compete with Lenovo ThinkReality VRX in build, aesthetics and user comfort. Both are good and more-less equal choices for enterprise users.
Resolution and refresh rate
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX offers a high-resolution display of 2280 x 2280 pixels per eye. The visuals are sharp and detailed, and there is a significantly reduced screen-door effect, which is a common issue in lower-resolution VR headsets, where users can see the fine lines separating pixels, which look like a mesh or screen door. It has two refresh rate modes: 90 Hz and 70 Hz. The 90 Hz mode is good for smoother visuals and comfortable viewing, because it reduces motion blur and flicker, which can contribute to eye strain and discomfort during extended use. The 70 Hz mode can be used to conserve battery life. Users can switch between these two modes depending on their needs.
The HTC Vive Focus 3 has a higher resolution of 2448 x 2448 pixels per eye, offering a slightly better visual experience compared to the Lenovo headset. Finer details are more visible and there is a less noticeable pixelation. The HTC Vive Focus 3 supports a consistent refresh rate of 90 Hz, which equals out between smooth visuals and performance.
Optics and Field of View
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX uses pancake lenses with a 95° diagonal field of view (FOV). They help reduce the distance between the display and the lens by folding the light path multiple times, which makes the headset more compact. The 95° FOV is adequate for most enterprise applications, and provides a deep enough immersive experience without significant tunnel vision.
The HTC Vive Focus 3 employs dual-element lenses with a wider field of view of 120° diagonally. It’s more than the ThinkReality VRX, which technically means more immersion, especially when it comes in a diagonal range. The dual-element design contributes to clarity and edge-to-edge sharpness, which wouldn’t be normally covered by traditional lenses.
Passthrough capabilities
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX features dual color passthrough cameras, covering both virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) modes. A passthrough is the ability of the headset to display the real-world environment to the user through its cameras. It is a baseline for mixed reality experience where digital objects are overlaid onto the physical world, and have the ability to interact with both real and virtual elements.
In the passthrough feature, users report challenges with color accuracy. They noticed that the colors in the passthrough mode do not always perfectly match the real world, and the discrepancy can affect tasks that require precise color representation, potentially impacting activities like design reviews or color-sensitive inspections. There is also a slight delay in the passthrough video feed (latency). In this case latency is noticeable, especially during fast movements, and causes some users to experience motion sickness. The delay limits the effectiveness of the passthrough feature for activities requiring fast movement or precise hand-eye coordination, such as interactive simulations or real-time task execution.
The HTC Vive Focus 3 is equipped with RGB cameras with excellent passthrough capabilities. This feature enhances mixed reality applications and provides a realistic representation of the real world., though some users noticed slight blurriness. The passthrough quality is generally higher, with better color accuracy and less noticeable delay compared to the Lenovo headset, which would make a better fit for cases that need precision and have no room for delays in loading the interactive content.
Both headsets have impressive display and optical features, but they cover slightly different needs. The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX excels in high resolution per eye and flexibility in refresh rates, but it faces challenges with passthrough color accuracy and latency. The HTC Vive Focus 3 delivers slightly better visuals with higher resolution and wider field of view. Its passthrough capabilities are superior to Lenovo, and despite some blurriness, it is the stronger contender in this category.
Internal hardware
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ chipset, and features an Octa-core Kryo 585 CPU and an Adreno 650 GPU, which provides robust performance for both virtual and mixed reality apps. The headset comes with 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, which is a great foundation to handle multitasking and complex applications. Storage is 128 GB, which is enough space for apps and data. The 6900 mAh battery is suitable for extended usage. The system runs on Android 12, which is a familiar and flexible platform for Android ecosystem users and developers.
The HTC Vive Focus 3 uses a custom-built Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset with 8 GB of RAM. It has 128 GB of internal storage, with the option to expand up to 2 TB using a microSD card. The headset features a 26.6 Wh battery, which supports hot-swapping, which allows for continuous use without downtime for recharging.
Connectivity
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX has a USB Type-C port, and supports WiFi streaming. The headset also includes integrated stereo speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack for connecting external headphones or audio devices
The HTC Vive Focus 3 has better connectivity options with two USB 3.2 Gen-1 Type-C ports, Bluetooth 5.2, and Wi-Fi 6. It features two dual-driver speakers and dual microphones with echo cancellation for higher audio high-quality and clear communication during use.
Battery life and charging
The battery life of the Lenovo ThinkReality VRX ranges from approximately 1.5 to 4 hours, depending on the intensity of the applications being used. Heavy load scenarios, such as using the color passthrough for mixed reality applications, will significantly reduce battery life due to higher power consumption.
The HTC Vive Focus 3 has approximately 2 hours of usage on a single charge. Its standout feature is the ability to hot-swap batteries in order for the users to quickly replace the battery without interrupting their session. However, it cannot charge while tethered, which might limit its convenience in certain scenarios.
Both headsets feature powerful internal hardware and advanced connectivity options. The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX has a higher RAM and larger battery, and is well-suited for intensive enterprise applications. The HTC Vive Focus 3 has an expandable storage and hot-swappable battery, which offers excellent flexibility and extended usage in continuous operations.
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX has 6DoF controllers equipped with face buttons, joysticks, and triggers. Face buttons are the primary buttons located on the front surface of the controller that are easily accessible to the user’s thumb. These buttons are typically used for in-game actions such as selecting options, jumping, and shooting, or actions that need to be done quickly and in a reactive manner. The motion tracking combined with haptics and tactile feedback creates a highly realistic VR experience. The controllers are responsive, and keep good track of motions in real time. There are four integrated cameras located in the front of the headset, which produce precise tracking of the headset and controllers without the need for external sensors. The cameras capture the environment very well, and provide real-time positional data to ensure accurate and seamless tracking. Lenovo plans future updates to include hand, eye, and face tracking, which will further enhance the interactive capabilities of the headset.
The HTC Vive Focus 3 employs infrared controllers with joysticks, buttons, and triggers, rechargeable via USB-C, but their ergonomics could be improved. Its tracking system relies on four visor-mounted cameras with good spatial awareness and controller tracking. But in comparison, the Lenovo ThinkReality VRX controllers are more ergonomic in shape, have haptics and more precision detection. The headset also has 6DoF tracking through four visor-mounted cameras with excellent spatial awareness and precise controller tracking.
Overall, the ThinkReality VRX controller design has superior ergonomics and responsiveness, as it seems to be a step forward that anticipates updates in tracking in general. The HTC Vive Focus 3 could strengthen its offering with design refinements, even though the controllers work well within the VR ecosystem. The HTC Vive Focus 3 excels in spatial awareness and tracking precision, though it falls slightly short in controller ergonomics.
Pre-installed software and UI
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX comes with a VR player app for displaying videos and other content in a virtual home cinema. The headset also has a kiosk mode, which is great for enterprise environments requiring controlled and consistent application use. When specific applications need to be controlled and displayed consistently, in Kiosk mode the device can be locked to a single app or a set of apps, preventing users from accessing other functions or settings. This is put in use for product demonstrations, training sessions, and other focused applications. Lenovo ThinkReality VRX has a robust content management and deployment platform that is secure and efficient, especially for management across multiple devices. The software has an open source license, which is interesting for security reasons, and also serves extensive customization to meet specific enterprise needs.
The HTC Vive Focus 3 comes with warranty and service options tailored for business users. It is compatible with Android Enterprise Mobile Device Management (MDM) platforms, and easy to integrate into existing enterprise systems. Since this is not a consumer-focused headsets, it lacks a rich consumer app marketplace, and instead focuses on business-centric applications and utilities.
Open source vs. proprietary software
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX operates on an open-source software license, which brings many advantages in terms of privacy, data security, and flexibility. Enterprises can get into the system beforehand, and inspect and modify the software to meet their specific needs. Large organizations need to prevent the misuse of sensitive data, which remains protected in this case. The software integrates seamlessly with existing systems.
The HTC Vive Focus 3 operates within a proprietary ecosystem that is primarily focused on business use. The system provides robust support for enterprise applications but lacks a consumer marketplace for general applications and games. The proprietary nature comes with extra support and guidance in integration for business needs but limits flexibility for customization and broader application use.
ISV network and third-party support
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX has an extensive network of Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), and robust third-party software support. It is compatible with major Mobile Device Management (MDM) platforms for enterprise management, as they can integrate the VR headsets alongside other devices within their existing infrastructure.
The HTC Vive Focus 3 supports a variety of business-centric applications and also has side-loading of company-specific apps. It has a supportive device management system that is suited for enterprises and effective deployment of VR solutions. As a tool it is robust enough for professional use, even though it lacks broader consumer application support, which is not too big of a concern considering the headset’s focus and design.
In terms of software and user experience, the Lenovo ThinkReality VRX scores in customizability and security due to an open-source software and extensive third-party support. The HTC Vive Focus 3 is also enterprise-focused, but operates within a proprietary ecosystem that lacks the flexibility and broader application base as found in Lenovo’s offering. For a business prioritizing customization and integration, the ThinkReality VRX is a better choice, but the Vive Focus 3 would be a better fit for a company that looks for a structured, business-centric model.
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX starts at €1200 with controllers. This higher price point is for the robust feature set and enterprise focus. The HTC Vive Focus 3 is priced between €1122.84 and €1699, depending on the retailer and specific package. This higher price point is justified by the superior display resolution, a wider field of view, and excellent tracking capabilities.
The Lenovo ThinkReality VRX is recommended for:
Key advantages:
Best suited industries:
The HTC Vive Focus 3 is recommended for:
Key advantages:
Best suited industries:
Both are excellent headsets for enterprises, but when making a choice, priorities need to be set straight: Is it going to be customizable and secure nature with integration options, or a better visual performance, tracking, and possibility of long-term operation? Both headsets provide substantial value, but vary in focus.
Petra Palusova is writer for the VRX blog with an affinity for all-things-XR. Architect, systems scientist specialized in XR and synthetic environments, Petra is currently active as a product design lead, advisor and researcher delivering best practices, communications and business strategies to technology companies building XR products and platforms. A true jack of all trades!
