Despite facing payment processing issues, HTC was able to start shipping its first virtual reality headset yesterday, meeting its promise of sending out the headset by early April. The HTC Vive is now arriving for customers who placed a pre-order and they will certainly be interested in knowing that the company has also released a companion app for the headset that keeps users up to date with reminders and notifications while they have a VR headset strapped to their face.
The whole idea with VR headsets is to provide a completely immersive experience, allowing users to go inside an alternate reality without ever really having to get off their couch.
That means that companies that build VR headsets have spent a lot of time and money trying to perfect blocking you off from the world once you’ve strapped that headset to your face.
HTC wants you to get lost in the Vive’s immersive experience but it also wants you to be up to date with your reminders and notifications, which is why it has released a companion phone app for the Vive VR headset.
The app relies on Bluetooth to send notifications and reminders and even allows users to send quick replies to messages when they’re wearing the Vive. This makes sure that users don’t miss out on important calls or texts while they’re enjoying an immersive virtual reality experience.
HTC Vive companion app is available as a free download from the Google Play Store.