Insta360 today announced a new partnership with HTC that streamline VR creation and playback at the annual VEC conference.
The recently released Insta360 EVO, will now integrate directly with HTC’s VIVE & VIVE Focus Plus headsets, allowing instant wireless playback and real-time VR preview during capture. This adds to the list of already compatible headsets from Oculus & Samsung Gear VR as well as the current VIVE.
The VIVE Focus Plus is HTC’s brand new standalone headset that will retail for $800 USD. The VIVE Focus Plus is designed for business & enterprise customers unlike the Oculus Quest which is aimed at gaming.
“The VIVE Focus and Focus Plus are designed to make the most immersive VR experiences accessible to consumers and enterprise users alike. Now, when paired with an Insta360 camera, VIVE users can create, relive and share their best memories like never before,”
Alvin Wang Graylin, HTC China President.
The camera integration is accomplished using the new multi-mode capability of HTC’s headsets. Multi-mode functionality lets users connect their headset to a wide range of third-party devices — from smartphones to gaming consoles — to experience an unlimited variety of both immersive and traditional content on their headset. Insta360 is HTC’s exclusive camera partner for this new broad-based VR ecosystem.
How It Works
To pair the Insta360 EVO with a HTC headset, users need to download the new Insta360 VR app from the HTC VIVEPORT app marketplace.
Once it’s installed on their headset, they can connect directly to the Insta360 EVO’s onboard WiFi.
When connected, users can playback existing 180/360 content from the camera without having to transfer, edit, stitch or process the footage in any way. If users do want to transfer footage for later viewing, this can also be done.
For those creating 180/360 content, VIVE users can also connect to the EVO during capture to get a real-time view of exactly what their finished project will look like in a VR headset. This will ensure you can get an accurate representation of the final outcome.
Insta360 EVO is priced at $419.99 USD and available to order now via Insta360.com, B&H Photo Video and select retailers worldwide.We have asked Insta360 if they will be expanding these capabilities to other VR headsets like those from Facebook owned Oculus, Lenovo and others.
You can learn more about the Insta360 EVO in our coverage below.
