Device hub · VR / spatial · Desk research
HTC VIVE Cosmos
Cosmos is tethered inside-out PC VR, not a Quest and not original lighthouse VIVE.
Product images
Placeholder — OEM press not licensedHTC developer specs and the 2019 newsroom remain the official sources. 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
Cosmos is tethered inside-out PC VR, not a Quest and not original lighthouse VIVE. FOV is “maximum 110°” on the spec table; the newsroom often drops “maximum.” Grams and IPD millimeters are unpublished. The External Tracking Mod is an extras row, not a second H1.
Who it is for
- Owners of Cosmos kits comparing the 1440×1700 / 90 Hz / max 110° table to original VIVE, Index, or Quest.
- People who specifically need HTC’s inside-out vs External Tracking Mod split from the newsroom.
Who should skip it
- Anyone shopping current HTC. That is Focus Vision / XR Elite leftover, not Cosmos.
- Standalone shoppers. Cosmos needs a PC, DisplayPort 1.2, and USB 3.0.
- Buyers who need published grams or an IPD millimeter window.
Key differentiators
- 1440×1700 per eye LCD; 90 Hz; FOV maximum 110°; flip-up visor.
- Inside-out via six cameras (newsroom). Optional External Tracking Mod for lighthouse (sold separately).
- 2019 complete launch $699; controllers in the regional “includes” list.
Caveats
- Spec table: “maximum 110 degrees.” Newsroom body often says “110 degrees.” Keep “maximum” on the spec row.
- Newsroom “88% more pixels than original Vive” is HTC arithmetic, not a lab sharpness score.
- No grams. Launch $699 is 2019 RRP.
- 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. Newsroom: all-new LCD / real RGB panels | HTC Cosmos developer specs; US newsroom 2019-09-12 |
| Display resolution | 1440 × 1700 per eye (2880 × 1700 combined). Newsroom: 88% increase over original VIVE (HTC claim) | HTC Cosmos developer specs; US newsroom 2019-09-12 |
| Refresh rate (OEM) | 90 Hz | HTC Cosmos developer specs |
| Field of view (OEM claim) | Maximum 110 degrees (developer / regional spec tables). Newsroom feature list: 110 degrees | HTC Cosmos developer specs; US newsroom 2019-09-12Wording conflict: keep “maximum” from the spec table; footnote the newsroom’s bare 110°. |
| Optics / lenses | Adjustable IPD / “Eye Comfort Setting.” Flip-up visor. Lens family not named pancake/Fresnel on the cited table | HTC Cosmos developer specs |
| Chip / processor | No headset SoC. PC floor (newsroom / user guide): i5-4590 / FX. | HTC US newsroom 2019-09-12; Cosmos user guide |
| RAM / unified memory | PC: 4 GB or more (spec/user-guide minimum). Recommended 8 GB on the user-guide table. Not a headset RAM SKU | VIVE Cosmos user guide |
| On-device storage | None (PC VR) | HTC Cosmos developer specs |
| Operating system | Windows 10 on the user-guide table. Newsroom: first headset to ship the VIVE Reality System UI (Origin / Lens) alongside the PC VR stack | VIVE Cosmos user guide; US newsroom 2019-09-12 |
| Tracking | Inside-out; newsroom: six camera sensors. Standing/seated: no minimum space. Room-scale: minimum 2 m × 1.5 m. Optional External Tracking Mod uses existing VIVE base stations (sold separately) | HTC US newsroom 2019-09-12; Cosmos spec tables |
| Controllers | Cosmos controllers (L/R) in the regional includes list. AA ×2 per controller (four alkaline in the box on those tables). Hall / touch sensors, trigger, bumper, joystick, grip (spec table) | HTC regional Cosmos specs “includes” |
| Other input | Headset button; integrated microphones. Faceplate / mods proprietary connector | HTC Cosmos developer specs |
| PC / console tether | Required. DisplayPort 1.2 + USB 3.0 (converter in the box on regional includes). Mini-DP to DP adapter listed. Wireless Adapter supported, sold separately, needs a PCIe slot (newsroom) | HTC Cosmos developer specs; US newsroom 2019-09-12 |
| IPD | Adjustable IPD / Eye Comfort Setting; IPD sensor listed. No millimeter range on the cited table (accessed 2026-09-19) | HTC Cosmos developer specsDo not invent a mm window. |
| Weight | Not published | Cited HTC pages |
| Passthrough / see-through | Chaperone technology listed. Flip-up visor is a physical peek, not color MR computing | HTC Cosmos developer specs |
| Eye tracking | Not listed | HTC Cosmos developer specs |
| Battery — headset (OEM) | Tethered visor — no headset-hour row. Controllers: 2× AA each | HTC Cosmos developer specs |
| Battery style | PC/wall tethered headset. Controller AA cells | HTC Cosmos developer specs |
| Charging (OEM) | Headset powered from the converter / PC path. Converter power adapter in the regional box list | HTC regional Cosmos includes |
| Audio | Built-in stereo headphones (newsroom / spec “Stereo Headphone”); integrated microphones | HTC Cosmos developer specs; US newsroom 2019-09-12 |
| Wireless | Headset is a wired DP/USB visor. Optional VIVE Wireless Adapter + attach kit (sold separately; PCIe slot required — newsroom) | HTC US newsroom 2019-09-12 |
| Glasses / prescription | Not published | HTC Cosmos developer specs |
| Platform / account lock | PC VR + VIVE Reality System / Viveport (newsroom). Not Meta Quest Store | HTC US newsroom 2019-09-12 |
| Age / intended use (OEM) | Not stated as a minimum age on the cited specs / newsroom pages (accessed 2026-09-19) | Cited HTC pages |
| US list price (dated) | $699 USD global launch 3 October 2019; pre-orders from 12 September 2019 (US newsroom). 2026 street not captured | https://www.vive.com/us/newsroom/2019-09-12/ |
| Price band | Legacy inside-out PC VR (2019 $699) | HTC US newsroom 2019-09-12 |
| Announced / introduced | Price/availability 12 September 2019; global launch 3 October 2019 | HTC US newsroom 2019-09-12 |
| Availability | Not published | HTC developer specs; regional product pages |
HTC VIVE Cosmos extras
Unique to this line or SKU. Other headsets keep the first table aligned and swap this extras list.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| FOV wording split | Spec table: maximum 110°. Newsroom list: 110°. Keep “maximum” on the spec row | HTC Cosmos developer specs; US newsroom |
| Inside-out cameras | Six camera sensors (newsroom) | HTC US newsroom 2019-09-12 |
| External Tracking Mod | Sold separately. Lets Cosmos use existing VIVE base stations / controllers / Tracker. Ships Motion Mod faceplate with the headset (newsroom) | HTC US newsroom 2019-09-12 |
| Play area (OEM) | Standing/seated: no minimum. Room-scale: 2 m × 1.5 m | HTC Cosmos spec tables; user guide |
| In the box (regional specs) | Headset, L/R controllers, mini-DP to DP adapter, headset cable, converter (DP + USB 3.0), converter PSU, 4× AA, cloth, Viveport code | HTC regional Cosmos specs |
Overview
Cosmos stays a hub because leftover inside-out HTC kits still exist and the Tracking Mod story is easy to flatten wrong. Four-camera entry SKU: /vr/htc-vive-cosmos-play/. Lighthouse SKU of this visor: /vr/htc-vive-cosmos-elite/. Lighthouse parent: /vr/htc-vive/. Later HTC: /vr/htc-vive-pro-2/, /vr/htc-vive-focus-vision/.
Display and FOV
1440 × 1700 per eye, 90 Hz, dual 3.4-inch LCD. FOV maximum 110° on the spec table. Newsroom list drops “maximum” — flag, don’t pick a winner.
Tracking split
Stock: six cameras, inside-out, room-scale 2 m × 1.5 m. External Tracking Mod is sold separately for existing base stations. Do not write “Cosmos is a lighthouse headset” as the default.
Sources
- HTC developer — VIVE Cosmos specs & user guide — accessed 2026-09-19
- HTC — VIVE Cosmos specs (NZ regional table) — accessed 2026-09-19
- HTC US newsroom — Cosmos price and availability ($699, six cameras, Tracking Mod) — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Is this original VIVE?
No. Original VIVE is lighthouse 1080×1200 / 90 Hz / 110°. Cosmos is inside-out 1440×1700 LCD at $699 (2019).
Does it need base stations?
Not for the stock Motion Mod faceplate. The External Tracking Mod (sold separately) is the lighthouse path.
FOV 110° or maximum 110°?
The spec table prints maximum 110 degrees. The 2019 newsroom often says 110 degrees. We keep “maximum” on the spec row.
Official product page: HTC VIVE Cosmos. Specs: HTC VIVE Cosmos specs.