The biggest selling point of virtual reality headsets at the moment seems to be gaming, but HTC has spotted a niche in the market and looks to be launching a fitness-focused headset called the Vive Air.
As Engadget reports, we only know about the HTC Vive Air because it has leaked via the World Design Guide Awards. The website lists the launch window as 2021 and claims the development time took between 25-36 months. The headset is expected to be made available across the US, Europe, and Asia when it does get a final release date.
The World Design Guide website goes on to detail how this is a VR headset "specially designed for virtual fitness, optimized for high intensity with long use," which means it needs to deal with the wearer getting hot and sweaty. HTC clearly took that into account when designing the headset by opting for knitted materials made from breathable and quick-drying fabrics. The end result is a very lightweight headset with plenty of ventilation and a "quick-release design" for the soft components allowing them to be washed.
It sounds as though HTC deserves a design award for making this VR headset so light and easy to clean. Perhaps other manufacturers will realize what a good idea it is and copy the concept in future models. As to when we can expect to learn more about the Vive Air, HTC's ViveCon 2021 kicks-off on May 11, which seems like the perfect place to officially launch this headset.