HTC has released its VR headset iPhone companion app on the App Store, enabling HTC Vive owners to receive real-world notifications from their phone while immersed in virtual reality.

The HTC Vive app brings some of the headset's unique features to iPhone owners for the first time, such as the ability to receive calls, text messages, and calendar reminders within the relative isolation of immersive VR.

HTC Vive app
Notifications forwarded by the app appear momentarily in the headset's HUD, and remain available in the HTC Vive dashboard for later perusal. Third-party app notifications are not currently supported.

In addition to downloading the free app, headset owners must install the HTC Vive client on their PC. At present, the Android app's facility to send preset responses to calls or texts from within the virtual world is not supported in the iOS version.

HTC Vive owners can download the app for iPhone from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: HTC

Top Rated Comments

Keane16 Avatar
90 months ago
VR is going to be so great in a few years. Lower barriers to entry, killer apps, better software. Exciting times ahead.

Good to see this from HTC. Also supported AirPlay on their latest flagship phone.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
shadin Avatar
90 months ago
When Apple takes graphics seriously enough to put something high-end enough in their machines.
This is the real answer. VR is very susceptible to framerate fluctuation, meaning that you need enough horsepower to maintain max FPS, or you run the risk of getting sick. Obviously this won't effect everyone equally, but at the end of the day, Apple is going to have to care about performance instead of thinness and make a move back to non-laptop parts in their desktop machines.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
shadin Avatar
90 months ago
The FPS thing is true—but oversimplified by many. It matters for some game types more than others, and "magic numbers" thrown out are somewhat arbitrary. A game where your body holds still is VERY different needs from a game in a vehicle vs (worst-case) a walking game. Likewise, the speed of the action, the need (or not) to turn suddenly, etc. all impact what kind of framerate is truly needed.

FPS does matter, but Macs CAN hold a terrific FPS. Even low-end Macs. It's the same as any game: you balance detail settings against FPS. So, a top-end PC can handle specific VR games and detail levels most if any Macs can't. But not every game needs that kind of detail to be fun. In fact, immersion in a cartoon or Tron-like world can be even more fun than a "sort of almost" uncanny-valley attempt at "realism," which is the best ANY PC can deliver. (For the record, I love bootcamping my Mac and trying the "realistic" VR experiences. But the other visual styles ARE fun too.)

So even your measly first-get MacBook can put out a steady framerate great for VR. Just not for every title. It's up to the game designer whether to target only the high end or not. (Which is applies to PCs too: most PCs cannot handle top-end detail.)

Again, that's why low-cost phone-based VR (when done right) works decently: GPU power is a piece of the puzzle, but it's simply not the the whole story.

Try Proton Pulse on iPhone with Google Cardboard. Then tell me you can't have fun with VR on a Mac :)
It is oversimplified, and you're right, low-end VR like what's been done with phone GPUs is fun to play around with. But when most people are talking about something being VR ready, they're talking about games and more advanced VR such as what we're seeing on the OR and Vive, and that's simply not going to happen with the current level of GPUs in any Apple product, or for the foreseeable future unless they start making performance a priority in some of their lineup.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
TMobile Sprint

Apple Stops Allowing Sprint iPhone Activations, Removes Sprint References From Online Store

Thursday March 23, 2023 12:06 pm PDT by
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store. When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...