Until now, going truly wireless with a single HTC Vive or Oculus Rift headset was fairly easy — assuming you were willing to buy a TPCast Wireless Adapter. Today, TPCast is shipping the Business Edition (BE) Wireless Adapter, capable of simultaneously supporting up to four players with the same sub-2-millisecond latency of the original model. It is billed as the first multi-user tetherless VR solution in the U.S. market.
The BE Wireless Adapter has changed a little since it was first announced last year. It still consists of a wireless receiver module that goes atop your head with a battery pack that mounts behind your head. There’s also a PC transmitter module to connect to your computer, and a “business class” router to handle the VR data traffic. But TPCast has cut the originally promised six-player compatibility down to four, and initially will only offer HTC Vive support. An Oculus-compatible version will follow in Q3 of 2018.
In light of the recent release of HTC’s Vive Pro, TPCast’s promised resolution for the BE Wireless Adapter is also worth noting: 2K. While that’s fine for the original Vive, the newer and more expensive Vive Pro offers over 4K resolution, exceeding BE’s wireless streaming capabilities.
TPCast expects that the Business Edition will be used for multi-user applications in the medical, real estate, and automotive sectors. It is available now for North American customers through the company’s website. Interested customers are urged to contact the company directly for pricing; the single-player Consumer Edition version sells for $300 to $340.
