Hey everyone!
My name is Cas, and today we are talking about the HTC Vive Cosmos.
Yes, again.
But this time, we won’t have the inside-out tracking issues as we are reviewing the Vive
Cosmos Elite that comes with the External Tracking Faceplate included.
This faceplate supports the base stations, also known as the lighthouses.
This is still one of the most accurate tracking systems to date.
Is this going to make a difference for the Cosmos headset?
Let’s find out…
But first, if you like to see more videos like this one, subscribe if you haven’t
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And now, join me beyond reality.
Okay, so, a lot has been going on with HTC VIVE lately.
Let me summarize relevant information, so you understand where this review fits.
In February, HTC announced that they are releasing three new headsets in the Cosmos series.
The Vive Cosmos Play, Vive Cosmos Elite, and the Vive Cosmos XR.
These headsets will replace the Vive Pro as the Pro has been discontinued for consumers.
The Cosmos Play and XR have no release date yet, but the Vive Cosmos Elite is already
available for preorder in the US and from now, also in Europe and the UK.
The Elite should start shipping at the end of this month depending on where you live.
Before all this, the first Cosmos headset came out a couple of months ago, and it looks
like this.
This is the version that supports inside-out-tracking using these six cameras on the headset.
You also get these controllers with it.
This is the Vive Cosmos Elite.
The specifications of this headset are very similar to the first Cosmos headset.
Here’s an overview:
As you can see the display is the same, both LCD panels.
The headsets have the same Fresnel lenses, the same resolution, field of view, refresh
rate, strap, and flip-up design.
There’s a manual IPD adjustment on both headsets, here.
The most obvious difference is the color, but the most important differences are the
controllers, and the faceplates, which allow for different tracking methods.
The Elite faceplate supports external tracking, while the faceplate of the first Cosmos supports
inside-out tracking.
Both faceplates are exchangeable, so you could put the external tracking faceplate on the
first Cosmos and vice versa to change tracking methods.
Although, this does make everything more expensive as you will need the base stations and compatible
controllers to use the external tracking faceplate while the other faceplate only works with
the Cosmos controllers.
Yes, I know, it gets pretty complicated this way.
If you have any questions about this, feel free to drop them in the comments below.
Also, a quick note: I’m not making a separate full review of the first Cosmos as most specifications
are the same anyway.
So this video should work as the review for the first Cosmos too on those specs, just
not for the inside-out tracking performance.
For that you can check out my previous video; I’ve linked it in the description.
It’s time to move to my thoughts on the Cosmos Elite headset.
We will talk about its look & feel, performance, display…
The usual stuff.
But first, this is what comes in the box.
The Cosmos Elite includes a pre-installed - external tracking faceplate,
- two SteamVR base stations version 1.0, - and two first-gen Vive (Wand) controllers.
To connect the headset’s cable to the PC, you put it in this converter that uses DisplayPort
and USB 3.0 cables.
The box also comes with a mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort adapter.
Of course, the Vive controllers and base stations come with its accompanying power adapters.
The Vive controllers are charged with a micro-USB cable.
The base stations come with a mounting kit that has two mounts, 4 screws, and 4 wall
anchors.
I’ve shown you the Elite a bit already, but before we move on to the more techy part,
I wanted to talk about its looks & comfort first.
The headset comes with this removable face cushion foam, and for your forehead, there’s
leather foam padding.
It uses a halo design that you might recognize from the Oculus Rift S and PSVR.
I do find the Cosmos Elite harder to get comfortable, though.
The headset tends to lean on my forehead, causing discomfort after a long play session.
So I would say this headset is less comfortable than the Rift S, PSVR, and the Valve Index.
However, it is for sure more comfortable than the original HTC Vive with its original straps.
However, as I always say, comfort is a very personal thing, so it might be different for
you.
Let’s move on to its display now, but before that, don’t forget to drop us a like on
this video for support!
😊 So according to HTC, the Elite uses all-new
LCD panels, which reduces the distance between pixels and minimizes the screen-door effect.
And when compared to the original HTC Vive, it is for sure a noticeable difference.
Screen-door effect is almost gone.
Not entirely, but I don’t mind it at all.
The display also features a 2880 x 1700 pixel resolution, which is an 88% increase over
the original Vive.
However, it isn’t much of an increase when compared to the Oculus Rift S, Valve Index,
or even the HTC VIVE Pro.
So yes, compared to the original Vive, a huge increase in clarity.
Visuals are much sharper; reading text is much easier.
But when compared to the Rift S, you can see a difference, but not as big as with the original
Vive.
I honestly don’t think you will notice the difference as much when playing games unless
you play racing or flight simulators where the higher resolution can make a big difference.
When compared to the Valve Index, I think the Index has a better overall display.
The refresh rate is still 90Hz, and well, yes, it still works and performs excellent.
As for the lenses, the Cosmos still uses Fresnel lenses
So yeah, glare and god rays are still there in high contrasted scenes, but it doesn’t
bother me.
For comparison, it is more noticeable on the Valve Index.
The sweet spot is, however, for some reason, tiny.
Tinier than I remember from the original Vive.
It makes staying in the sweet spot a challenge.
Especially when I’m playing fast-paced games like Pistol Whip, where I dodge and duck very
often, the headset easily moves me out of the sweet spot.
I don’t seem to have this problem as often with other headsets.
The field of view is the same as the original Vive.
HTC says it’s 110 degrees, but that’s usually the maximum and I could never get
it as high as headset manufacturers say.
So I usually measure it in this test app.
This time I measured 88 degrees horizontal & 106 degrees vertical.
And only when I wear the headset very tight.
Usually I get less FOV and it feels like the HTC VIVE and the Oculus Rift.
This FOV is still fine for me.
The interpupillary distance or IPD adjustment is fortunately manual.
Using this dial at the side, you can move the lenses closer and further away from each
other to match the distance of your eyes, and it helps tremendously to get your image
sharp.
The IPD range for the Elite is 61.00 - 73.40 mm.
My IPD is around 59, and I can play well on the lowest IPD setting, although I am wondering
now if the sweet spot is tinier for me because I can’t get the IPD range closer to my eyes.
When you wear the headset, I almost don’t see any light leakage from the nose gap either,
especially if you wear it tight.
But you can still see a bit of your floor if you really try.
Of course, you can now use the flip-up visor to quickly check what’s going on in real
life, which all the other headsets do not have.
The flip-up visor is a nice feature, especially for quick peeks.
I don’t think it’s comfortable though wearing the headset with the visor up for
a longer time.
As for tracking, I mentioned it already, it uses the SteamVR tracking with base stations.
This is made possible with the External Tracking mod that’s included with the Elite kit.
The front faceplate is the External Tracking mod.
To detach it, you have to turn the headset around, and next to the left lenses, there’s
a button that you can press down.
While holding this button-down, you should be able to remove the faceplate with ease.
To mount this faceplate again or any other faceplate you might have, just make sure to
align the port and the pins accordingly.
And then you can firmly press around the faceplate to mount it.
Make sure the faceplate aligns with the headset from all sides.
The External Tracking Faceplate can be used with base station 1.0 and 2.0 as well as with
the original Vive or Vive Pro controllers.
This means that if you already have the base stations, you don’t need to buy new ones.
You can just get the headset-only.
What can I say about tracking performance any more than what you already know from me?
If you follow this channel, you know I like this tracking system.
The SteamVR base station tracking, when mounted correctly, is one of the most accurate tracking
systems to date.
The downside here is that it is more effort getting it set up initially, but once done,
you never have to touch it again for it to work correctly.
Another downside is that you cannot easily bring your setup with you to your friends,
so the headset isn’t as portable as an inside-out tracking headset.
Let’s move on to the controllers.
These are the original Vive controllers, also known as the Vive wands, and let me be blunt;
I don’t like them.
They are bulky and not ergonomic.
These controllers are seen as first-gen controllers.
And it has a lot of issues like the trackpad stops working after a while, and the grip
buttons are not very well placed.
The newer Touch controllers or the Valve Index controllers are just much more intuitive to
use and more comfortable.
I wish HTC had reiterated their controllers and brought out new ones.
But because the Elite uses the base stations, you can use any SteamVR compatible controllers
with it.
So you can also get the Index controllers with your Cosmos Elite, for example.
As for audio, I think they are fine.
I’m not an audiophile, though, but this setup is definitely better than the speakers
of the Rift S. I think it sounds about the same with the Deluxe Audio Strap.
I do find the audio solution by the Valve Index tons better.
The microphone sounds like this.
This is an uncut & unedited recording from the HTC Vive Elite microphone.
Press the pants and sew a button on the vest.
This sounds like the original Vive microphone and, ugh, it isn’t very good.
And for those that wear glasses, most should be able to fit in the headset.
I tried it with these glasses that have pretty big frames.
You can get the Vive Cosmos Elite kit for 900 US dollars (999 euros).
There’s an option to get the headset-only for 549 dollars (619 euros) for those that
own the base stations and controllers already.
At the time of making this video, you can get Half-Life: Alyx and a 6-month VIVEPORT
Infinity membership for free with your Cosmos Elite kit, which is a pretty good deal.
This offer ends on June 30th.
So overall: I think the Vive Cosmos Elite is decent.
It performs well, and feels fine.
It is for sure an upgrade if you come from first-gen headsets like the original HTC Vive
or original Rift.
However, there are other headsets out there that will offer you better value for the same
money or even less, which makes it hard to recommend this headset over others.
The Valve Index, for example, goes for 999 dollars for a full kit.
It is 100 dollars more, but it offers a lot more improvement in almost every aspect.
The Valve Index also provides a headset-only option for 499 dollars, which is even cheaper
than the Elite headset-only option.
So there is really no reason to get the Cosmos Elite headset over the Valve Index if you
already own the base stations.
The Oculus Rift S is 400 dollars, and while the Cosmos Elite has better specifications,
I think the Rift S can give you almost the same kind of VR experience for half the price.
There is a reason why you could get the Elite, and that is for the wireless adapter.
This adapter allows you to play PC VR games wirelessly, which can feel pretty great.
But the wireless adapter is 350 dollars on top of the Elite price.
It will be interesting to see what else HTC does with their modular approach though.
The mods might offer a better value in the future when they allow you to do things other
headsets can’t.
But right now, HTC’s prices are unfortunately not competitive enough.
I know that some of you don’t like Oculus headsets and are not able to buy a Valve Index
in your country, so there might be people set on getting an HTC headset.
Then I would recommend getting the Cosmos Elite, and not the inside-out tracking Cosmos,
and especially if you already own base stations or controllers.
Some of you asked about the Vive Pro, and I think the Pro is still a great headset and
has an arguable advantage over the Elite, which are its OLED displays.
Some people prefer the deeper blacks, and I agree it looks better.
But, I don’t mind the greyer blacks with LCD panels plus LCDs have the advantage of
being able to provide more subpixels than OLED, resulting in greater sharpness for the
same rendering cost and less screen-door effect.
This difference is very noticeable when compared with the Elite display, and since the Vive
Pro, is being discontinued for consumers.
I do not recommend getting the Vive Pro anymore.
For now, let’s wait and see what HTC does with their modular approach.
I will for sure keep you updated on this channel.
Sooner on the channel, I will review the wireless adapter for both Cosmos headsets.
I know some of you are interested in this.
So what do you think about the Cosmos Elite?
Do you agree or disagree with my points?
Let me know in the comments below!
Thanks for watching this video, and if you want to know more about other headsets, then
check out this playlist right here.
Hope to see you all in the next video!
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As always, VR on!