Building a slide deck, pitch, or presentation? Here are the big takeaways:

  • At CES 2018, HTC announced the Vive Pro, upgraded Vive hardware for a better VR experience for consumers and the enterprise.
  • The Vive Pro features dual-OLED displays for a picture resolution of 2880 x 1600 combined.

At CES 2018 in Las Vegas, HTC announced the Vive Pro, a hardware upgrade to the Vive virtual reality (VR) headset with improved visuals for enterprise and consumer use.

The move could signal a turning point for VR in the enterprise, which up to this point has been stagnant. Along with tools like the Facebook-owned Oculus for Business bundle, the Vive Pro could be used for enhancing worker productivity and job training in fields like manufacturing and design, healthcare, transportation, and retail, in a growing VR and augmented reality (AR) market.

Vive Pro upgrades the Vive experience with dual-OLED displays that offer a combined picture resolution of 2880 x 1600–a 78% increase in resolution over the Vive model currently available, according to a press release.

SEE: CES 2018: The Big Trends for Business (ZDNet/TechRepublic special feature)

The headset also includes attached headphones with a built-in amplifier to improve sound quality, as well as dual microphones with active noise cancellation. Dual front-facing cameras can also help developers work more creatively using the headset, the release noted.

All of these features improve the immersive nature of the VR headset, allowing text, graphics, and the overall VR experience to look and feel sharper.

“There’s a clear need in the VR market for a premium VR experience with high resolution display, integrated audio and the best components available today in a headset,” Daniel O’Brien, general US manager for HTC Vive, said in the release. “Vive Pro offers an immediate upgrade for both VR enthusiasts and enterprises that want to utilize the best VR experience.”

HTC also unveiled the Vive Wireless Adaptor, which it claims will be the first to market with wireless VR headset integration for both the Vive and the Vive Pro.

The adaptor includes Intel’s WiGig technology to create a VR wireless experience operating in the interference-free 60Ghz band–leading to lower latency and better performance, the release stated.

SEE: Virtual and augmented reality policy (Tech Pro Research)

“Wireless VR has been on nearly every VR user’s wishlist since the technology was unveiled,” Frank Soqui, general manager of the virtual reality group at Intel Corporation, said in the release. “By collaborating with HTC to commercialize Intel’s WiGig technology, we will guarantee that wireless VR meets the most discerning quality bar for home users and business VR customers.”

The Vive Wireless Adaptor will ship worldwide in Q3, but pricing information is not yet available. Pricing information for the Vive Pro will also be available soon.

Finally, HTC announced updates to the Viveport VR app store for a better user experience, as well as to Vive Video, which now has integrated content from Vimeo.