HTC has announced the global launch of a new virtual reality app store built for the HTC Vive, and it’s called Viveport.
Viveport was actually announced earlier this year (and is already available in China), but HTC has now pledged that it will be available to all customers globally later in autumn. HTC also confirmed that a developer beta for the service would launch soon. Cher Wang, HTC’s CEO, said:
“Our mission is to unleash human imagination from the limitations of reality, and Viveport will be an important cornerstone in democratising access to the world’s most diverse selection of immersive experiences.”
According to HTC’s press release, Viveport will allow customers to “discover, create, connect, watch, and shop for the things they love and need in life”. Using the service, you’ll be able to access a wide range of VR experiences, including apps and games. The Viveport store will be available in HTC Vive headsets (obviously), as well as web browsers and apps for both PC and mobile.
Viveport’s developer beta is launching “soon”
Viveport was originally launched in China as an alternative to Steam, and it seems set to offer worldwide customers an experience that’s less focused on gaming and more on general VR experiences.
“We believe equal access to virtual reality experiences will make the world a better place; enhancing our daily lives and the way we connect with everything,” said Rikard Steiber, Senior Vice President of Viveport. “An important goal for the Viveport team is to enable developers to reach a global audience and grow their business.
To access Viveport’s beta, you can register on HTC’s Vive developer website here.
The HTC Vive is a virtual reality headset built in partnership with Valve Corporation, the creators of Steam. It was released on April 5, 2016, and is the only commercially available, tethered VR headset to utilise “room scale” technology that allows users to walk around a virtual space.
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Do you already own a virtual reality headset? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.