HTC’s fitness focused Vive Air VR headset leaked by awards list

An under-appreciated aspect of virtual reality is its potential for fitness but that’s something that the newly-leaked HTC Vive Air headset is planning to address. The wireless headset surfaced on the World Design Awards website recently, before anything like an official announcement of the device was made.

And not just a hint of the  Vive Air’s capabilities, either. We’ve got clear looks at its design, including the material used in its construction, and a neat little description that explains exactly what we’re looking at. It’s a VR headset, but you’re supposed to get it sweaty.

Viva la Vive Air

It’s built from materials designed to be easy to clean. Even a regular VR headset gets a little manky after extended usage and they’re not exactly created to be easy to refresh. HTC’s newest owes a little of its DNA to athletic shoes, but with an emphasis on being able to disassemble and clean the headset a little more thoroughly than that PlayStation VR sitting in the corner has probably seen. The full description, taken from the World Design Awards website, reads:

“VIVE Air VR headset is specially designed for virtual fitness, optimized for high intensity with long use. Inspired by sports shoes, the new headset introduces knitted materials to VR to provide unprecedented comfort and fit. The breathable and quick-drying fabrics improve ventilation in the heated exercise. The innovative lightweight structure allows users to forget the presence of the head-mounted display to focus on virtual content. The quick-release design allows the removal of ergonomic soft components for washing.”

According to the leak, the Vive Air headset will launch this year, turning up in Asia, Europe and North America — which isn’t positive news for any fitness-focused VR heads here at home. ViveCON 2021 is set to take place from 11 to 12 May this year — we’re fairly certain this will turn up on stage, along with anything else the company has planned.