HTC Vive Gets A Head Strap With Built-In Audio Next Month

As if it weren't enough to have the equivalent of a smartphone strapped to your head, Vive, the HTC-owned VR company, is finding more things to add to that contraption. It is, at least, calling it a "deluxe" strap, so you know it can only be good. The Vive Deluxe Audio Strap promises a more ergonomic way to put on, take off, and keep the VR headset on your head, while also providing built-in earphones so you won't have to fumble around for a separate pair.

Virtual reality headsets, at least in their current form, aren't the most comfortable pieces of technology you can wear. In the Vive's case, only a few velcro straps fasten the head-mounted display (HMD) on your head and keep it from falling off. At least until you shake your head too much.

The Deluxe Audio Strap adds both comfort and security, in that sense, by offering more solid support and balanced weight so you won't feel like your face is going to fall forward. At the same time, it also makes it easy to pass the headset around, with a sizing dial that makes the harness, er strap, fit heads of any size.

The strap also comes with built-in headphones, as the name so plainly points out. Before this, you'd need to have your own headset to truly enjoy the immersive experience that VR promises. A headset you could misplace or leave out of reach when you put on the Vive. That will no longer be a problem now that they are part of the headset itself. Sort of.

The Vive Deluxe Audio Strap will start shipping on 6th June, available from authorized retailers and Vive itself. The strap will cost $99.99 but, for those who ordered a Vive Business Edition since 27th February, the strap will come bundled with the Vive headset.

SOURCE: Vive