Former HTC CEO Peter Chou has a new gig: trying to build the metaverse. Yesterday, Chou’s startup XRSpace unveiled what it’s been working on for the last three years:
- Mova, a $599 VR headset that supports hand tracking and 3D scanning. Mova has a 5G-compatible model, making it the first VR headset to connect to next-gen cellular networks.
- Manova, a social VR platform with private and public spaces to access services, play games, and flail your arms. In Manova, players sport full-body virtual avatars. In most social VR apps, like Facebook’s forthcoming Horizons, avatars don’t have legs.
Taiwan-based XRSpace is focused on securing strategic partnerships. In Q3, Mova will first launch the headset in Taiwan with Chunghwa Telecom, then in Germany with Deutsche Telekom. XRSpace has also teamed up with a Taiwanese real estate company to use its technology for VR home tours.
Zoom out: Chou knows that breaking into hardware is hard. Building a social VR world that finds mainstream success may be even harder.
+ For more on 5G and VR, check out our 5G guide.
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