Device hub · VR / spatial · Desk research
HTC VIVE Cosmos Elite
Elite is lighthouse Cosmos, not the $699 six-camera kit.
Product images
Placeholder — OEM press not licensedHTC’s regional Elite spec pages remain the official source. Product photos are not hosted.
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not an HTC asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
In short
Elite is lighthouse Cosmos, not the $699 six-camera kit. Same max-110° panel. Two boxes (full kit vs headset-only). Cosmos controllers do not work on the Elite headset. Grams and IPD millimeters are unpublished.
Who it is for
- Owners of Elite kits who need HTC’s own 1440×1700 / max 110° / SteamVR Tracking table.
- People who already own base stations and must not buy Cosmos (inside-out) controllers for this visor.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who wants stock Cosmos inside-out / six cameras / $699 2019. That is a different slug.
- Shoppers who need published grams or an IPD millimeter window.
- Standalone / no-PC buyers.
Key differentiators
- Same 1440×1700 LCD / 90 Hz / maximum 110° as Cosmos; SteamVR Tracking default.
- Full kit includes Base Station 1.0 + VIVE controllers; headset-only does not.
- UK: Cosmos controllers incompatible; Index and 2018 VIVE wands listed as compatible.
Caveats
- Do not write Elite as six-camera inside-out. That is stock Cosmos (or the optional Motion Faceplate extras row).
- Full-kit 3.5×3.5 m vs UK 2.0-station area footnotes — different station counts, not a fight to average.
- No hands-on testing.
VR-category specs
Same rows on every headset hub (Vision Pro, Quest, Galaxy XR, PICO, PS VR2). FOV, weight, and battery cells quote the manufacturer footnote — they are not lab measurements.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Display type | Dual 3.4-inch diagonal LCD (same panel family as Cosmos). UK features: all-new LCD; 88% more pixels than original VIVE (HTC claim) | HTC SEA Elite specs; UK Elite Headset features |
| Display resolution | 1440 × 1700 per eye (2880 × 1700 combined) | HTC SEA Elite + Elite Headset specs |
| Refresh rate (OEM) | 90 Hz | HTC SEA Elite specs |
| Field of view (OEM claim) | Maximum 110 degrees (SEA Elite and Elite Headset spec tables). Same “maximum” wording as stock Cosmos | HTC SEA Elite specs |
| Optics / lenses | Not named pancake/Fresnel on the SEA spec tables. Flip-up visor; adjustable Eye Comfort Setting (IPD) | HTC SEA Elite specs |
| Chip / processor | No headset SoC. PC floor: i5-4590 / FX-8350 class; GTX 970 4. | HTC SEA Elite minimum PC specs |
| RAM / unified memory | PC: 4 GB or more (SEA minimum). US support recommended column: 8 GB. Not headset RAM | HTC SEA Elite specs; vive.com US Cosmos Elite system requirements |
| On-device storage | None (PC VR) | Product class |
| Operating system | Windows 10, Windows 11 (SEA). US support minimum column lists Windows 10 only vs recommended Windows 10/11 | HTC SEA Elite specs; US support system requirements |
| Tracking | SteamVR Tracking (SEA spec). Full kit includes VIVE Base Station 1.0. Headset-only: base stations required and sold separately (UK footnote 4). Supports BS 1.0 and SteamVR 2.0 (UK) | HTC SEA Elite specs; UK Elite Headset features |
| Controllers | Full kit includes VIVE Controller. Headset-only: controllers required and sold separately. UK: VIVE Controllers, VIVE Controllers (2018), and Index Controllers listed; VIVE Cosmos Controllers are not compatible | HTC SEA Elite kit list; UK Elite Headset features footnotes 5–6Do not put Cosmos inside-out controllers on this H1. |
| Other input | Headset button; integrated mics. Controller: trackpad, grip, dual-stage trigger, system, menu (full-kit table). Optional Motion Faceplate / wireless adapter are extras, not the default H1 | HTC SEA Elite specs; UK features |
| PC / console tether | Required. USB 3.0 + DisplayPort 1.2; converter + Mini-DP adapter in both boxes. Optional Intel WiGig wireless adapter is a UK extras module, not the stock cable path | HTC SEA Elite specs; UK Elite Headset features |
| IPD | Adjustable Eye Comfort Setting (IPD) on both Elite spec tables. Millimeter window not published | HTC SEA Elite specs |
| Weight | Not published | HTC SEA Elite specs |
| Passthrough / see-through | Flip-up visor (physical). Optional Motion Faceplate copy mentions enhanced pass-through “coming soon” — not the default Elite lighthouse H1 | HTC SEA Elite specs; UK Motion Faceplate module |
| Eye tracking | Not listed | HTC SEA Elite specs |
| Battery — headset (OEM) | None. PC tethered. Controllers charge via Micro-USB (full-kit table) | HTC SEA Elite specs |
| Battery style | None (tethered HMD) | Product class |
| Charging (OEM) | Controller Micro-USB on the full-kit table. Headset is wall/PC powered | HTC SEA Elite specs |
| Audio | Stereo headphone(s) + integrated microphones (SEA). UK: on-ear, form-fitting headphones | HTC SEA Elite specs; UK features |
| Wireless | Stock path is DP/USB cable. UK extras: optional Wireless Adapter, Intel WiGig, 60 GHz | UK Elite Headset features |
| Glasses / prescription | UK features: suits a wide range of vision types and even fits over glasses | HTC UK Elite Headset features |
| Platform / account lock | SteamVR / VIVEPORT (redemption code in both boxes). Not Meta Quest Store | HTC SEA Elite includes list |
| Age / intended use (OEM) | Not stated as a minimum age on these spec pages (accessed 2026-09-19) | HTC SEA Elite specs |
| US list price (dated) | Not printed on the SEA/UK spec pages this pass (accessed 2026-09-19). Do not copy Cosmos $699 | HTC SEA/UK pages this pass |
| Price band | Legacy lighthouse Cosmos / kit vs HMD-only | Product class |
| Announced / introduced | Elite generation after 2019 Cosmos (pages still live 2026). Exact US announce day not re-parsed from a newsroom this pass | HTC regional Elite pages |
| Availability | Legacy leftover. Confirm region and which box (full kit vs headset-only). Not stock Cosmos | HTC regional pages |
HTC VIVE Cosmos Elite extras
Unique to this line or SKU. Other headsets keep the first table aligned and swap this extras list.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Kit vs headset-only | SEA /cosmos-elite/specs includes Base Station 1.0 + controllers. SEA /cosmos-elite-headset/specs is visor + cables; stations sold separately | HTC SEA Elite vs Elite Headset specs |
| Cosmos controller lockout | UK footnote 6: VIVE Cosmos Controllers are not compatible with VIVE Cosmos Elite Headset | vive.com/uk Elite Headset features |
| Play-area footnotes | Full-kit table ≈3.5 m × 3.5 m. UK: 3.5×3.5 (two 1.0), 5×5 (two 2.0), 10×10 (four 2.0). Different station counts — do not average | HTC SEA Elite specs; UK features footnotes |
Overview
Elite stays a hub so the lighthouse Cosmos visor is not flattened onto /vr/htc-vive-cosmos/. Four-camera entry: /vr/htc-vive-cosmos-play/. Same-line sibling is stock Cosmos. Lighthouse peers: /vr/htc-vive/, /vr/valve-index/.
Same panel, different tracking
| Stock Cosmos | Elite | |
|---|---|---|
| Panel | 1440×1700 / 90 Hz / max 110° | Same |
| Default tracking | Six cameras, inside-out | SteamVR base stations |
| 2019 $699 | Yes (newsroom) | Do not copy |
Two boxes
Full kit: stations + VIVE controllers. Headset-only: visor + cables. Quote the URL you mean.
Sources
- HTC SEA — VIVE Cosmos Elite specs (full kit) — accessed 2026-09-19
- HTC SEA — VIVE Cosmos Elite Headset specs — accessed 2026-09-19
- HTC UK — Cosmos Elite Headset features (controller / station footnotes) — accessed 2026-09-19
- HTC US support — Cosmos Elite system requirements — accessed 2026-09-19
- HTC — stock VIVE Cosmos (do not copy six-camera default here) — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Is this the $699 Cosmos?
No. That slug is inside-out Cosmos. Elite is the lighthouse box with the same 1440×1700 / max 110° panel.
Can I use Cosmos controllers?
HTC’s UK Elite Headset footnote says VIVE Cosmos Controllers are not compatible. Use VIVE / 2018 VIVE / Index controllers.
Are base stations in the box?
On the full Elite kit page, yes (Base Station 1.0). On the Elite Headset page, no — sold separately.
Official product page: HTC VIVE Cosmos Elite. Specs: HTC VIVE Cosmos Elite specs.