HTC Vive VR users have been fiddling with cellphone-type earbuds if they plug in the system strictly out of the box. The headstrap configuration of elastic bands doesn’t make it easier to use off-brand earphones either, but Vive users will have an option starting June 6th with the ability to purchase the Deluxe Audio Strap beginning June 6, 2017, for US
$99.99 (€119.99, £99.99, ¥799.00) at Vive.com and Vive retailers..
[Editor’s note: VizWorld will have a review of the Deluxe Audio Strap, hopefully before they go on sale online, and we will update this post accordingly.]
The strap is designed to provide built in earphones along with an adjustable headset made of more rigid material than the elastic bands that now hold the HMD to the user’s head.
The earphones are permanently fixed, but have an easy pullaway adjustment, allowing the entire Vive to come on and off quickly. There is no mention of a microphone or adapter, which may be relevant for some games and social VR environments, such as Altspace VR, where I have just used the microphone in my gaming laptop to hold conversations while wearing the Vive in a closed space (an 11′ x 11′ room), without any problems.
An important part of the design concept for the strap is to give better balance to the HMD for the wearer, which by its nature pulls the head forward and down, as that’s where the bulk of the weight lies. The adjustment knob in the back is intended to replace pulling on the velco-tipped elastic bands that currently keep the unit on the user’s face.
The Deluxe Audio Strap will be part of the Business edition of the Vive, also to be released next month.
