HTC is preparing to move its Vive VR development off into its own business. While earlier reports indicated that this would be a completely separate entity, it has been clarified that the new Vive company will only be a wholly owned subsidiary.
The plans were originally revealed during a shareholder meeting on 27 June, where HTC president for global sales Chia-lin Chang explained the reasoning for the move. HTC appears to believe that separating Vive from the rest of the company will allow it to attract more strategic partners and investors.
It isn’t a bed of roses for HTC at the moment, and spinning the Vive off could be a way of shielding its most exciting product from the financial problems facing the rest of the company. HTC’s smartphone business has been on the downturn for several years, and it doesn’t look like there will be a recovery any time soon.
The Vive VR headset has a good chance of turning a profit for the subsidiary. It is currently considered to provide the best quality VR experience; despite the steep price tag. Several PC makers are also trying to take advantage of the Vive’s capabilities by mounting computers into backpacks, which provides for maximum mobility in a virtual environment.
