The Cosmos range is constantly expanding and presents the newest VR headset on the market, namely the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite.
About HTC Vive Cosmos Elite
HTC Vive Cosmos Elite is an alternative to the Cosmos headset, which includes an external tracking plate. It tries to keep most of the basic specifications of the original HTC Vive Cosmos model, but with some modifications where needed. This model maintains dual 4.3-inch 1440 x 1700 displays running at 90 Hz.
Cosmos Elite goes from controlling the effects from inside the device to the outside of the original model, starting with the changes right from the main base stations to improve the quality. That is why we can refer to a higher price when we talk about the new VR Cosmos Elite.
First of all, I must point out that the package itself is accompanied by a multitude of hardware, wires, and power cables. Thus, it may seem confusing to assemble them all and you do not know where to start.
How is the connection of Vive Cosmos made?
Normally three sockets are enough to connect the headset with the base stations.
The controller power cables are universal, you can connect any USB cable as long as it is compatible with your computer. However, when updating the firmware on the base stations, it is recommended to use the USB cable that came with the headset, because unfortunately this criterion cannot be solved at the moment only with the help of Bluetooth.
A deficit, however, would be the overheating of the device and the loud noise produced by the fan behind the front plate. Wearing headphones at a very short distance from the ears makes this impediment disappear, with good speakers, rendering a quality sound for a wonderful virtual gaming experience.
The menu is not very complex, the keys are easy to use, there are 2 buttons on either side of the main handle, and another one that indicates the menu is under the touch pad being handy.
In other words, the design is structured for the comfort of the player and the proper functioning of the system.
The most suitable HTC Vive Cosmos Elite package
There are three options you can consider when you want to purchase one of the packages that include the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite headset: you can add a front plate to the standard headset as an updated option of the original version; the complete package that includes the headset, front plate, tracking base stations and two standard Vive controllers; or the individual headset.
In conclusion, Elite assigns Vive Cosmos to itself and modifies it so that it can correspond to the original Vive base stations.
Vive Cosmos Elite features
- flip-up viewfinder similar to WMR headphones
- 3.4-inch dual diagonal LCD screen
- 1440 x 1700 pixels for eyes
- 2880 x 1700 pixels overall
- 110-degree field of view
- 90Hz refresh rate
- built-in stereo headphones
- 3D space sound
- integrated microphones
- manually adjustable IPD wheel
Vive Cosmos Elite manages 1440 x 1700 pixels per eye (2880 x 1700 pixels in total), a series of much more advanced visual images than the original headset. This is just one of the advantages of the new upgrades of these VR headsets.
We also find other improvements if we relate to comfort.
The support band that comes in order to help the headphones is grip, which can adjust its dimensions through a special adjustment wheel and a viewfinder that allows you to change its position when you want to make contact again with the real world.
Another completion to the new Vive Cosmos model would be the visualization from the inside to the outside with the help of mounted cameras.
It is made of an easy to wear material, with a discreet lining, without feeling any discomfort during the best VR games in your collection.
How to track through Vive Cosmos Elite headset
The conditions in the room in which you carry out your activity matter a lot in order to have the best version of the headset. If there is not enough light, or on the contrary, the space is too bright, the pursuit from the inside to the outside could suffer some problems.
In this context, the cameras do not concretely distinguish the controllers, and thus, a distortion of the images is created, resulting in erroneous virtual landscapes in accordance with reality. Cosmos Elite removes this impediment by adding the external tracking plate, making the right connection with the original Vive stations.
The game supports to connect to the network and need a good view of the running space in order to run in optimal conditions.
The next step is to connect the headset to a gaming computer or laptop by using the USB cable that connects to a power source.
Vive Cosmos does not support HDMI cable, but if you purchase the complete kit, it will include a Display Port adapter in the box, so this is a very good option to consider.
Vive Cosmos Elite gives up LED ring controllers to reduce battery consumption during the game, have a more concrete view, and be easier to handle. Thus, moves on to the classic Vive wireless controllers, which meet all these criteria.
HTC Vive Cosmos Elite requirements
The features that the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite headset needs to meet are:
- PC or laptop that has Windows 10 or more updated version
- Graphics card: Nvidia GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or higher
- CPU: Intel i5-4590 / AMD FX 8350 or higher
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Connection with: DisplayPort 1.2
- USB port: 1x USB 3.0 port
Games quality
The wireless adapter is available as an additional purchase.
As we can see, the upgrades made to the detriment of the original version are much more complex and bring a better performance at the time of the game.
The work has been done to improve the small impediments to visual images.
The latest tested games have demonstrated the improvement of the functions of the new Vive Cosmos Elite headset.
Conclusion
We are amazed by the configuration of Vive Cosmos Elite.
HTC Vive Cosmos Elite has a big plus in the graphics of images from inside to outside, offers a fairly simple procedure in connecting to a laptop or computer, and the game does not stop in any room you play, no need to continuously monitor the base stations.
Cosmos Elite is also, from a technical perspective more advanced, with a higher number of pixels and a higher refresh rate, all this weighing in terms of price, indeed.
Thus, due to the rather high price, there is a certain momentary hesitation in purchasing this product by customers who have tried other versions of headphones.
The market price is $899.99, it may be a bit big, but this set of HTC Vive Cosmos Elite lives up to expectations.
The headset itself is especially suitable for those who have previous experience in setting it up.
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