HTC Vive joins VirtualLink, a cable standard now backed by all major PC VR players

A universal cable standard for virtual reality devices can’t be considered “universal” without the participation of all the major makers of VR hardware. That vision is coming closer to reality now that HTC Vive has announced it’s joining a group focused on bringing USB-C connectors to all future VR headsets.

Back in July, an organization called the VirtualLink Consortium brought together AMD, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oculus, and Valve to develop a USB-C connector cable suitable for future VR headsets. Because VR headsets often contain multiple high-resolution screens, cameras, sensors, and microphones, users typically connect two or three plugs and/or cables. Using an “alternate mode” of USB-C, VirtualLink wants to reduce that to a single cord that supports up to four lanes of HBR3 DisplayPort, 10Gbps USB 3.1 Gen 2 for cameras and sensors, and 27 watts of power.