HTC has announced its new Viveport app store that will give owners of Vive VR headsets a place to download virtual reality apps and games. VR fans will have another place besides Steam to find VR experiences that do not involve waving hands and shooting things. HTC reports that the new VR store will also include categories such as social media, 360-degree videos, entertainment, health, and shopping.
Vive Home will also be updated. It is where customers can find items such as interactive tools.
Viveport's beta version for developers will roll out during the next few weeks. The Taiwanese electronics company plans to launch the VR app store in about 30 countries this autumn.
In fact, the Viveport app has been available in China since Spring 2016. It seems that is because Steam has a small market share in the region.
HTC's goal is to give owners of Vive headsets the chance to download content at the VR app store. It is not trying to compete with Steam.
The tech giant wants to launch its VR games and apps through all distribution systems, and hopes to offer new categories for people who want to enjoy non-gaming VR experiences.
Shen Ye is an HTC product specialist. He stated earlier this year in a Q&A session in Germany that HTC store is another choice for people who cannot use the Steam digital content store, according to PC Magazine.
Rikard Steiber is vice president of Viveport. He shared in a statement that giving customers equal access to VR experiences will improve the daily lives of people and businesses. Third-party developers will create new VR apps that Vive owners can share with friends and family.
All Vive headset users must paradoxically launch Steam. Time will tell how many people still choose the new app store over the standard distribution platform.
In related news, Chinese aircraft builder Yuneec has promised to sell a VR headset named SkyView that links to its Typhoon drones and allows owners to get the onboard camera's point of view, according to The Verge. The headset has few features besides the immersive screen.
SkyView has a 75.5-degree field of view compared to Rift's and Vive's 110-degree field of view. It also has a 5-inch 720-pixel display screen.
Here are some top HTC Vive games: