HTC’s Vive wireless adapter claims up to 3 hours of untethered VR play

Announced in January as a high-tech way to free HTC’s Vive and Vive Pro virtual reality headsets from their tethering wires, the Vive Wireless Adapter now has a confirmed key spec and release window: It will deliver between two to three hours of wireless playtime, and hit stores in late summer 2018.

The Adapter uniquely uses a relatively new wireless standard called WiGig to transmit high-bandwidth audio and video data at 60GHz, well above the frequencies used by common home routers and upcoming 5G cellular devices. As RoadtoVR reports, a sample version of the Adapter is on display at E3 in Los Angeles this week, and ideally works within six meters (19.69 feet) of the transmitter. Notably, the original Vive works in 15-foot by 15-foot spaces; the Vive Pro supports up to 20-foot by 20-foot tracking. Up to three Adapters can be used in the same space, though each apparently requires its own transmitter.