HTC Vive XR Elite: One minute review

I had high hopes for the HTC Vive XR Elite. HTC has been operating in the VR space for some time now, and this unique-looking, next-generation VR headset – which can also support mixed reality – appeared as though it might give Meta and its Quest Pro a run for its money. Unfortunately, the XR Elite has been something of a disappointment.

It’s far from terrible, mind. The Vive XR Elite’s modular design, which allows you to disconnect the battery pack and turn it into a lightweight pair of goggles, is inspired. This is, frankly, the comfiest headset I’ve used, and one I wouldn’t mind wearing for a whole day, if "metaverse" working takes off. In addition, its mixed reality capabilities come close to being the best on the market; the passthrough video feed delivers a very clear image of the real world and, thanks to its depth sensors, the Vive XR Elite’s sense of depth feels accurate, too. Most other headsets fall down in at least one of these areas.

Having said that, the XR Elite has a few too many issues to make it feel like a worthy rival to some of the best VR headsets on the market, or even one of the best business VR headsets.

Its cloth face covering will soak up sweat and is tough to clean, which will prove limiting if using this headset as a VR fitness device (one of the best ways to use your VR headset). Plus, its controllers are far from what I’d expect from a premium headset.

The Viveport library of games is also subpar compared with rival platforms. Plugging the headset into a PC does unlock the ability to enjoy many great VR experiences, but when other headsets such as the Quest Pro and even the Quest 2 offer these titles without a PC, I can’t help but feel the Vive XR Elite is lagging behind.

Its specs, too, don't quite reach those of the Quest Pro – with HTC’s headset featuring a Snapdragon XR2 chipset, 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage versus the Quest Pro’s Snapdragon XR2 Plus chip, 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. This wasn’t a deal breaker when the HTC Vive XR Elite was set to be cheaper than its competitor. However, following the Quest Pro’s price cut, HTC’s $1,099 / £1,299 / AU$2,100 headset is now more expensive, leaving you to question the reasons you'd pick it over the other options out there.

HTC Vive XR Elite: price and availability

The HTC Vive XR Elite is available to buy from its official store for $1,099 / £1,299 / AU$2,100.

When the HTC Vive XR Elite was announced, its was at a price that was higher than I’d liked, but not unexpected. And while HTC’s VR headset isn’t as capable as Meta’s next-gen Quest Pro, the Quest Pro would cost you more at $1,500 / £1,500 / AU$2,450.

Unfortunately for HTC, in the months since the Vive XR Elite's announcement, Meta has decided to slash the price of the Quest Pro to a much more reasonable $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,730 – making it roughly a third (or three quarters in Australia) of its original price. This not only makes the Quest Pro a more appealing option in its own right, but also more favorable compared to rivals such as the HTC Vive XR Elite, which is now not only underpowered but more expensive, too.

You’ll also want to weigh up the HTC Vive XR Elite against the Oculus Quest 2 – and the soon-to-be-released Oculus Quest 3 – since while Meta’s more budget-friendly headset doesn’t pack as much of a punch, you may find it delivers you better value for money.

• Value score: 2.5/5 

HTC Vive XR Elite: design

The HTC Vive XR Elite has set a new bar for VR headset design in terms of comfort.

Just like the Quest Pro, the XR Elite does an excellent job of balancing its weight. Its battery pack sits at the back of the strap to counterbalance the front face panel,  which is home to the display and processors, with the adjustable strap allowing you to achieve a secure yet comfortable fit.

However, plenty of headsets do that; so what makes the XR Elite special? It's because the battery pack is optional. You can swap it out for plastic stems that transform your 625g headset into a pair of VR goggles that weigh only 273g.

You'll need to be tethered to a power source for the goggles to function, but in terms of crafting a VR headset with a productivity slant, this design gives the XR Elite the edge over the competition. That’s because if you’re using the headset for work then you’ll likely be sitting at a desk, with the tether not too much of a nuisance. Plus, the XR Elite will be much easier to wear for extended periods in this lighter form.

I tried wearing the Meta Quest Pro for a whole working week and it resulted in a rather sore neck as a result of the extra weight. Had I been able to reduce the weight down as significantly  as I could with the HTC headset, I expect my VR working experience would have been vastly improved. The only downside of using the glasses form is that the headset feels less secure without the strap. In addition, it doesn’t sit quite right – during testing, while the headset did stay on my face the whole time, I refrained from moving my head around too much for fear of it smashing onto my desk.

Despite its success on the comfort front, the HTC does make a few blunders with its design elsewhere. One major fault is that the cloth face cover pretty much counts out the HTC Vive XR Elite for use for fitness. Work up a sweat and any moisture will soak into the fabric cover, which you can’t machine wash, and is generally a pain to clean. A silicon face cover would have been better, allowing you to easily wipe it clean if it becomes dirty.

I’m also not a fan of headsets that you can’t wear with glasses. Yes, the XR Elite includes adjustable lenses that can act as a replacement for your glasses; but if your eyesight needs to be corrected by more than the HTC’s lenses allow, then this headset isn't an option for you. Devices such as the Oculus Quest 2 (which was released back in 2020) offer perfectly fine solutions – such as optional plastic spacers that leave room for your specs – so I don’t understand why the Vive XR Elite couldn’t follow a similar route. 

Neither am I a fan of the controllers, which are awful. Well, that might be a little strong, but the cheap-feeling plasticky handsets don’t ooze premium – something I’d expect from a thousand-dollar headset with the mention of “Elite” in the name. In addition, the large tracking rings make it all too easy to bump the controllers together and briefly ruin your immersion. 

In contrast, the Meta Quest Pro’s controllers are delightful ; they’re weighty, feel premium, lack any tracking rings, and even include realistic haptics to further enhance your VR experience. Even the Quest 2’s controllers are better, using less cumbersome tracking rings and a generally more ergonomic design than the HTC Vive XR Elite’s controllers.

• Design score: 3.5/5 

HTC Vive XR Elite: performance and specs

The HTC Vive XR Elite is a pretty capable headset with solid specs – but it could be better.

In terms of power, the XR Elite uses a Snapdragon XR2 chipset and 12GB of RAM to power its VR experiences, and it has storage space for 128GB worth of games and apps. This might not sound particularly generous, but when you consider how small these apps can be, that 128GB will take some time to fill. In fact, I've used a 64GB Quest 2 and rarely have any issues. Even if you do fill the 128GB allocation, you can just delete an old app and download the new one quickly and easily.

The Vive XR Elite headset's display is pretty good, boasting an LCD screen that affords a 1920 x 1920 pixel-per-eye resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate; this is the recommended minimum for VR experiences that avoids the inducement of nausea. The headset also offers you a maximum 110-degree field of view.

These specs allow the HTC Vive XR Elite to perform pretty well. All of the games or apps I tried with the headset displayed no issues on the hardware; however, it’s outdone by other headsets on the market.

For comparison, the Meta Quest Pro offers the same 12GB of RAM, but with 256GB of storage (which is overkill, but an upgrade nevertheless) and an improved Snapdragon XR2 Plus – which delivers 50% higher sustained power and 30% improved thermal performance compared to the regular chipset.

However, the Quest Pro only offers 1800 x 1920 pixels per eye and a max 106-degree field of view – although, in my tests, it felt like the field of view on the Quest Pro was bigger.

Note that the HTC Vive XR Elite  lacks face and eye-tracking, something that many next-gen headsets have adopted. HTC has said it plans to add these features via an optional add-on in the future, but there’s no word on a release date or price for this accessory right now.

• Performance and specs score: 4/5 

HTC Vive XR Elite: features and software

The HTC Vive XR Elite might not come with the same eye- and face-tracking abilities adopted by the likes of the Meta Quest Pro, but it does have very solid mixed reality capabilities – probably the best on the market.

Admittedly, this isn't a particularly high bar to cross; the Pico 4’s fisheye lenses offer terrible depth perception, the Quest Pro’s passthrough feed that shows you the real world is blurry and low quality, and the Quest 2 can only deliver greyscale.  Nevertheless, the Vive XR Elite outshines the competition. The passthrough video quality is very high (crisp, with pretty accurate colors), plus the sense of depth is great, too – there’s slight fisheye distortion, but it’s considerably less disorienting than that experienced on the Pico 4.

Unfortunately, the Vive XR Elite is let down in the mixed reality department – and just in general – by a lack of solid software to take advantage of its performance. The selection of apps available in its Viveport store don't stack up against what players can find in Meta’s rival Quest store front (which is exclusive to Quest headset owners).

From what I can tell, every worthwhile VR experience on the XR Elite’s store is also available on the Quest platform – or, Meta at least offers something similar in terms of gameplay and quality – but this doesn’t go both ways. Games such as Beat Saber, Walkabout Mini Golf, Gorilla Tag, and plenty of other big Meta Quest apps aren’t available in the XR Elite’s standalone store.

You can find many of these missing titles in the Viveport PC store, but you don’t buy a standalone VR headset such as the XR Elite to then tether yourself to a PC. Especially not with games and apps that even the Quest 2 can run on its own.

• Features and software score: 3/5 

HTC Vive XR Elite: battery life

The battery life of the HTC Vive XR Elite is about what we’ve come to expect from standalone headsets, lasting for about 2 hours on a single charge. The controllers can last up to 15 hours each. When the headset runs out of juice, it can regain one hour of battery life with 30 minutes of charging.

This puts the XR Elite slightly ahead of the Meta Quest Pro, which lasts about one and a half hours, but behind the Oculus Quest 2, which can last up to three hours, or up to four with an optional head-strap battery pack add-on. That said, perhaps because of the lack of software, I never felt compelled to completely drain the HTC headset of power, so I can’t say my play sessions weren’t noticeably impacted by the battery life.

• Battery life: 3/5 

Should I buy the HTC Vive XR Elite?

Buy it if… 

Don’t buy it if… 

Also consider

HTC Vive XR Elite Report Card

First reviewed: April 2023

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Sony ZV-E1: Two-minute review

The Sony ZV-E1 is a video-centric full-frame camera that brings together multiple worlds; the simple handling of Sony's ZV range of cameras designed for vlogging and content creators, with a sprinkling of Sony cine camera grunt and Sony's best quality consumer-level 4K video. As such, it’s set to be the best vlogging camera around, even if it’s a little overkill for most people. 

With a few additional AI tricks up its sleeve, too, the Sony ZV-E1 is further proof that AI is evolving how our cameras work. The integration of AI-powered features includes Auto Framing, which crops into the full image and then intelligently tracks your subject as they move around within that full image area, giving the perception that the camera is human-operated. Super-smart stuff. 

If you don’t mind attaching an external monitor like an Atomos Ninja V to what is an otherwise tiny camera, then dual recording of the cropped Auto Framing image and the full image area is possible, too, effectively giving you two files with the perception of two cameras on set. 

Auto Framing is such a neat trick that I can see modest crews using it to add value to productions, simplify the shooting setup and speed up workflow in post. Otherwise, the ZV-E1 only has a single SD card slot, which will put off serious filmmakers that demand the peace of mind that comes from simultaneously recording onto two cards.

And the same AI chipset that powers the Sony A7R V also powers enhanced subject detection autofocus in the ZV-E1, which includes humans, animals, birds, insects, and vehicles, and can track subjects even with their back turned to the camera. It really does work.

A supercharged ‘dynamic’ image stabilization ups the ante over Sony’s ‘active’ image stabilization. It crops more heavily into the image at around 2x, but provides some of the smoothest handheld footage I’ve seen outside of using a gimbal, provided you’re shooting with a wide-angle lens. Again, a feature that makes life on set simpler, and marks the ZV-E1 as a supreme camera for creating handheld videos.

And let’s not forget that video-focused cameras like the ZV-E1 can also shoot some of the cleanest-looking still images around (12MP at up to 10fps here), with no limit on sequence length. 

Looking beyond its market position and design, the ZV-E1 is now the cheapest way to acquire Sony's best consumer sensor for 4K video, the same sensor that’s found in the Sony FX3 cinema camera (which is around 40% more expensive) and the Sony A7S III (approximately 25% more expensive). Those two lightweight and powerful cameras are already very popular, and naturally I’m expecting to see the ZV-E1 crop up time and again on film sets, especially as a b-cam. I’ve seen it before with cameras marketed for vlogging and content creators – you can enjoy better bang for your buck, which is again the case with the ZV-E1. 

The ZV-E1 is still Sony’s flagship ZV camera, and represents a significant outlay. You can still gain that all-important shallow depth of field with the crop-sensor ZV-E10 camera paired with a fast-aperture wide-angle prime lens like the Sony E 11mm F1.8, which is a more sensible option for casual content creators (and a whole lot cheaper). 

Like the photo-centric Sony A7C, the ZV-E1 can be perceived as doing many things very well, but not without sacrifice due in part to its diminutive size – it’s a powerful camera in a tiny package, but without the all-round durability that you get with pro-level cameras like the FX3. 

For example, the FX3 is a better prospect for heavy users, offering dual card slots, raw video, cooling vents and unlimited record times. The ZV-E1 is not afforded those luxuries, though it can dual-record when an external monitor is connected via mini HDMI; plus, I know plenty of pro-filmmakers that don’t use a Sony FX3 beyond the capacity of what the ZV-E1 offers anyway.

Bringing assorted bits of existing Sony cameras of varying concepts together in one package makes the ZV-E1 a strong all-rounder. I believe it’s going to be a big hit, and in some surprising ways, not least of which (for Sony anyway) is its aggressive price point. 

Sony ZV-E1: Price and release date

• Available body-only or with the 28-60mm lens
• Available April 2023
• Starts at $2,300 / £2,350 / AU$3,500 (approx)

A vlogging camera for $2,300 / £2,350 (about AU$3,500 – pricing for Australia is TBC) body-only or $2,600 / £2,600 (about AU$3,800) with Sony’s 28-60mm F4-5.6 lens might seem a little overkill, but the ZV-E1 offers impressive bang for your buck, especially when you consider the features it’s packing.

It’s the smallest full-frame camera with in-body stabilization; it’s the cheapest way to acquire Sony’s best sensor for 4K video, which is also found in cameras like the Sony FX3 that are way more expensive; and it throws in intriguing new features that point to a future where AI enhances workflow and speeds up the editing process. Sony isn’t usually known for offering good value, but the ZV-E1 is a commendable exception. 

• Price: 5/5

Sony ZV-E1: Specs

Sony ZV-E1 review: Design

• The smallest and lightest full-frame camera with in-body stabilization
• Fully functional flip-out touchscreen
• Benefits from a small lens

Cameras designed for vlogging should be easy to carry and operate, and the ZV-E1 hits the mark. It’s Sony’s smallest and lightest full-frame camera with in-body image stabilization, with a similar form factor to the Sony A7C, which includes a decent grip and a plastic but durable body. There’s also the dumbed-down button layout of other Sony ZV cameras, which includes a defocus button and photo/ video/ S&Q mode switch.

I only tried the ZV-E1 with the new 20-70mm F4 lens during testing. It’s a versatile lens that performed really well for video in my tests, although I found it a tad big for such a small camera – it obstructed a large part of the flip-out screen from my view when doing video selfies. 

Most full-frame lenses will feel a tad big on the ZV-E1, but if I was buying the ZV-E1 for vlogging I’d look to pick up the 16-35mm F4 G lens rather than the 20-70mm F4, as it’s a good 20% shorter and 25% lighter (or a fast wide-angle prime like the 20mm F1.8). Another point in the 16-35mm’s favor is that its wider angle focal length provides extra breathing space that’s especially useful for run-and-gun filming with image stabilization turned on (I’ll unpack image area crops later).

Arguably, the APS-C format ZV-E10 makes more sense for on-the-go content creators, not least because it’s a quarter of the price and even smaller, and also because lenses like the 11mm F1.8 are much smaller, lighter and, again, cheaper. You won’t get quite the same image and video quality, and no 4K 60p, but the ZV-E10’s image quality is still a significant cut above that of smartphones. 

As this is a video-centric camera there’s no viewfinder on the ZV-E1 – it’s one of the things that helps to keep it so small – and the 3-inch vari-angle touch screen is a tad underwhelming. You have to lean in close for a clear view of the screen, and even in cloudy weather I found it a challenge to register the red box around the screen that indicates recording is in progress (the tiny tally lamp is brighter); for me it’s the number one reason to pick up an external monitor for the ZV-E1. 

Thankfully, the LCD screen offers full touch function, which can’t be said for the ZV-E10, and because there are only a few external controls you will use the touch screen a lot. You can now select exposure settings by touch, and swipe in and out of the main menu options for a clean view of the live image.

Elsewhere, there’s a built-in intelligent mic that can prioritize rear or front audio, or can simply be left in auto mode (which is what I would do most of the time). The mic design covers multiple scenarios: selfie shooting, conversation between camera operator and subject, and ambient audio. 

A zoom rocker controls Clear Image Zoom, which can digitally extend the lens focal length up to 1.5x for 4K video or 2x for Full HD video without a perceivable loss in detail quality – believe me, it’s a handy tool at a pinch for getting in closer. 

I like the rigid design of the port doors, which stay open and out of the way, rather than flexible doors that flap around, and which, annoyingly, you need to move out of the way every time you plug something in. The three doors reveal a single SD card slot, mic input and headphone jack, a mini HDMI for connecting an external monitor, and a USB-C port via which the camera is charged. 

• Design: 5/5

Sony ZV-E1 review: Features & performance

• Useful AI-powered modes
• Super-responsive autofocus for video and photo
• Same battery as other high-performance cameras

Sony often blazes the innovation trail, and there’s much to be said about the compelling features and powerful performance of the ZV-E1. 

I tested the camera with Pete, a filmmaking colleague who uses the Sony FX3 and FX6 cinema cameras every day for video commissions, and we’ll share our experience and thoughts on the ZV-E1’s AI-powered features in depth in a separate article. 

Suffice to say, the AI modes sparked our collective curiosity, and some skepticism, and we took each feature for a spin. Auto Framing is perhaps the smartest of the lot. It offers three different-sized crops into the full image area: small, medium and large. The camera then seemingly follows a tracked subject as they move about within the full image frame.

What you get as a result is the perception of a human-operated camera following a subject, even though the camera is static. The effect feels genuine, although it is fallible. Relying on subject recognition it proved to be less reliable in low-light scenarios, but outdoors it was virtually flawless. 

One thing we’d like to see is the Auto Framing crop appearing as an overlay on the full-frame image, which would help the camera operator direct their subject by giving them the parameters of where they can move to stay in the frame.

Sony is also renowned for excellent autofocus, and the ZV-E1 boasts the same AI-chipset as the A7R V, which offers some of the best focus-tracking performance I’ve ever seen. Subject tracking worked a treat for a range of scenarios – I shot videos and photos of dogs and birds, plus for another example with me as the subject, with my back turned to Pete, who was operating the camera and walking behind me.

Image stabilization is an important feature to have for run-and-gun filmmakers who want smooth footage without the need for a gimbal. Going a step further than Active stabilization is Dynamic stabilization, which proved particularly effective with the 20-70mm lens at its wide angle setting, but jittery when zoomed in nearer to 70mm. In-body stabilization, even in the Dynamic mode, does not replace a gimbal, but with a steady hand and moderate movement, you should be happy enough. 

If you ever need to switch to shooting stills, the ZV-E1 is very capable here too, even for action photography. Its continuous shooting mode is identical to the A7S III’s, with a max burst of 10fps for what is essentially an unlimited number of frames, backed up by supremely powerful autofocus.

Those looking to livestream their productions are well supported too, with 4K 30p and HD 60p output leading the way to make this one of the best youtube cameras.  

After filming for a decent amount of time, Pete and I were really impressed by the ZV-E1’s battery life, from what is the same FZ-100 battery as used in the FX3 and A7S III. You’ll get plenty of minutes under your belt from a single charge – Sony quotes up to 85 minutes. 

• Features and performance: 5/5

Image and video quality

• Crisp-looking photos fine for modest-size viewing
• Sony’s best-quality 4K video
• S-Cinetone color profile looks great out of the camera

There’s not a lot to be said about image and video quality that hasn’t already been revealed in our Sony A7S III review. The ZV-E1 shares the same 12MP full-frame sensor, which delivers clean-looking stills with impressively wide dynamic range, even in low light. In 2023, it’s a modest resolution, but if you don’t print or view big it’s plenty enough – and the quality of those pixels is outstanding.

You also get the same excellent 4K video quality, with dual native ISO 640 and ISO 12,800, low noise, and the ability to load your own LUT profile.

So, surely Sony is shooting itself in the foot by offering this same sensor in a camera that costs a whole lot less than the A7S III and FX3? Well, those two cameras offer a little extra, namely raw video – something the ZV-E1 can’t do at all – and they shoot 4K 120p All-intra video. At launch, the ZV-E1 shoots 4K 60p, while 120p will be introduced via a firmware update scheduled for June 2023, albeit in long-gop format only. 

Frankly, I don’t know a lot of filmmakers who would choose to shoot in raw format, which is particularly data-heavy, unless a client demands it. If you can get the exposure right in the first place, you’ll save yourself a lot of hard drive space by shooting compressed video instead.

Where the ZV-E1 is limited in 2023 is its 4K resolution, which is bettered by competing cameras like the Panasonic Lumix S5 II, which shoots 6K – and surely it can’t be too long before we see 8K video in a camera at around this price point.

I shot a bunch of video in log profile, but I actually rather like the S-cinetone profile, which is an already graded color profile that looks great off-the-bat, especially if the exposure is spot on. There’s also a Cine Vlog setting in the main menu that auto-selects a 2:35:1 aspect, 24p and a choice of six different baked-in preset looks; if you want to skip grading it’s worth exploring, but I personally didn’t find a look that I loved. 

• Image and video quality: 4.5/5 

Should you buy the Sony ZV-E1?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Sony ZV-E1 review: Also consider

If our Sony ZV-E1 review has you considering other options, here are three more cameras to consider...  

How I tested the Sony ZV-E1

As it’s a video-centric camera, I tested the Sony ZV-E1 with a filmmaking colleague Pete Sheath, who uses the Sony FX3 cine camera every day for video work. Together we tried out the ZV-E1 alongside the Sony FX3, and compared the two cameras in use mostly around single-person content creation, including run-and-gun filming. 

We took a particular interest in the new AI-powered modes, including auto tracking, dynamic image stabilization, and what we would call racked-aperture, plus the new Cine Vlog setting, which can automatically set various video parameters, including aspect ratio and color profile. I’ve checked just how effective the new AI-powered modes are in the videos we shot.

When it comes to image quality, the ZV-E1, FX3 and indeed A7S III cameras have the same 12MP full-frame image sensor, and most of the same video profiles, including S-Cinetone, so this is a known quantity to a large degree. 

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First reviewed April 2023