The VIVE Focus Plus is a commercial-grade VR Headset designed to offer feature-rich flexibility and portability to VR users. While its predecessor, the (now discontinued) VIVE Focus, was mainly targeted at consumers in the gaming space, the VIVE Focus Plus, much like its sister headset, the VIVE Pro, is aimed exclusively at the enterprise.
Though the VIVE Focus Plus may not appear to be all that different from its predecessor, with both models sharing a similar appearance and running on the same Qualcomm 855 platform, the latest release does deliver some interesting new features.
VIVE added these upgrades to improve the performance of business VR users, ensuring they have more comfort, flexibility, and freedom when exploring their immersive realities.
VIVE Focus Plus Review: The Features
With a display resolution of 1440 x 1600 pixels per eye, plus a refresh rate of 75Hz, the VIVE Focus Plus headset offers some pretty impressive visuals for a standalone headset. The latest model also includes two motion sensors fitted with Chirp SonicTrack 6DoF ultrasonic + IMU fusion tracking to improve user mobility and haptic control significantly.
Other Features of the VIVE Focus Plus include:
- Memory capacity of 4GB of RAM and 32GB ROM
- SD Card/MicroSD Slot support up to 2TB
- FOV range of 110°
- Built-in speakers & 2 noise-canceling microphones
- A built-in rechargeable battery with up to 3 hours lifespan
- A charging time 2 hours
- USB 3.1 Type-C connection ports
- An ergonomic design developed to fit 95% of head-types
- Headset weight of 695g
As a fully standalone mobile device weighing just 695g, the VIVE Focus Plus is an ideal VR headset for any enterprise user on the go. Much like Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2, Focus Plus requires no PC tethering and can be deployed with ease across various offsite and remote working locations to keep teams connected within virtual environments.
VIVE Focus Plus Review: The Hardware
Unlike Oculus Quest 2, however, the VIVE Focus Plus’s internal specs remain mostly unchanged from the original model. While Facebook successfully future-proofed their flagship VR headset by building it on the 5G-ready Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Platform, VIVE decided to stick with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 used in the first Focus model.
Aside from a slight change in design, the only significant difference between the two VIVE Focus headsets appears to be that the Plus edition includes two 6DoF controllers instead of just one 3DoF. However, while this upgrade will undoubtedly improve the quality of the user’s immersive experience, we’re not convinced it’s enough to justify the $799 price tag – especially when you can pick up a superior Oculus Quest 2 headset for just $299.
VIVE Focus Plus Review: The Verdict
While many people were excited about the release of a new standalone VIVE headset explicitly designed for use in the enterprise, the Focus Plus failed to deliver on the hype. Compared to Facebook, a company that took significant steps to improve its product and create a better experience for its customers, VIVE has done little to bring its Focus product line headset into the modern age.
As a result, it’s hard to see how the VIVE Focus Plus can compete in a world where the Oculus 2 exists, and the company must make significant changes to their next model if the product line has any hope of surviving in the future.
