Watch This Timelapse Video of Us Setting Up an HTC Vive

If you're a virtual reality fan,

this is the second week in a row

you've had marked on your calendar.

Last week was the Oculus Rift

this week marks the release of the HTC VIVE.

A VR system made as a partnership between HTC

and the software company Valve.

Now since this system was first announced last year

it's promise has always been enabling

what they called room scale VR.

It was just a bigger play space.

It wanted you not just to sit and stand

but to move, to walk around and experience VR

in all of its splendor.

Of course, the price of that is a setup

that's a little bit more involved.

We wanted to put that to the test.

How long would it take we thought, to get from box to VR.

Now I can't lie.

The setup process for this was kinda involved.

Each of those lighthouse base stations,

which is in the corner of the room,

those let you get that 360 degree tracking

and also a larger play space.

And they need to be what's recommended as

a minimum of six feet five inches high.

We were able to use light stands from the photo department

but they also recommend drilling those into a wall

using their mounting station.

So each of those lighthouse base stations plugs in.

Your PC obviously plugs in

and then there's a link box that plugs in.

Now there's also a RCA jack going down

in that little nest of cables down your back.

And that's to let you plug

in what ever headphones you have.

There's no integrated audio on the VIVE

like there is with the Rift,

which is either a pro or con,

depending what side of that audio debate you fall on.

Even the most pedestrian shit just seems like

the greatest in the world.

I'm making fake popcorn, crouched by a fire,

oh here it goes, is it going?

Did I mess it up?

Once everything was kind of factored into it,

allowing for a couple of snafus,

it ended up taking close to an hour to get setup.

Now that's not so bad.

When you first start the setup process

through the VIVE application, it tells you

it's gonna take about 28 minutes give or take.

So the fact that we had to do some updates,

actually pretty happy with an hour's time.

However, you're just looking at a lot more

cord management than you might be than with the Rift.

For everything you get, a wider play area, more space,

that really cool lighthouse technology,

you're gonna have to find a little more space

to route your cords in secrecy.

(electronic music)

I feel like I should do this whenever I'm waiting

for anything to happen 'cause you never know.

Aaaaaah.

I died.

I died!

Alright.