Full-Body VR: 8 Reasons You'll Love the VIVE Ultimate Tracker

Standalone VR just got a major upgrade — and right in time for the holidays. That upgrade is the all-new VIVE Ultimate Tracker.

In this post, we’ll reveal why our first-of-its-kind tracking accessory takes virtual and mixed reality experiences to the next level. Find out what make the VIVE Ultimate Tracker so special and how its capabilities can be of use to you.

Here are 8 important things the VIVE Ultimate Tracker has to offer:

Smart cameras play a key role in the VIVE Ultimate Tracker’s high-precision positional tracking.

1. 6DoF inside-out tracking

The VIVE Ultimate Tracker is self-tracking, offering high-precision VR experiences without the need for base stations or other external sensors. It can figure out its own position within a 3D space thanks to the combination of two wide-FOV cameras, which look out at the world around them, and computer vision, which works with an onboard processor to make sense of what those cameras see.

This is very similar to the inside-out tracking employed by standalone VR headsets such as the VIVE XR Elite and VIVE Focus 3. Like the VIVE Ultimate Tracker, those devices use cameras to scan the environment and understand their relative location and orientation.

And just as with the tracking on those VR headsets, the VIVE Ultimate Tracker offers six degrees of freedom (6DoF) for faithful replication of physical movements in real time.

What that all means is that you can enjoy very high tracking precision without needing to set up external sensors or base stations. It’s a new level of tracking convenience for VR users!

The latest standalone VR tracker from HTC VIVE has a lot of neat tech built into it.

2. Small, lightweight form

The VIVE Ultimate Tracker weighs just 94 grams. It features a compact, balanced design with optimal weight distribution, which makes wearing it feel more natural.

You can comfortably punch, kick, duck, and jump with multiple trackers on your body and forget that they’re even there. That sort of invisible presence is part of what helps make VR hardware immersive!

Their sleek structure also makes the VIVE Ultimate Trackers suited for fast, frequent movements over extended periods of time, whether that means dancing, training, or playing sports in VR (or even in mixed reality).

3. OpenXR support

While the VIVE Ultimate Tracker was designed specifically for standalone VR headsets, it also conforms with OpenXR, a cross-platform standard for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) development.

OpenXR enables developers to create immersive experiences that work seamlessly across different devices and operating systems, and the VIVE Ultimate Tracker’s OpenXR support means that it has the potential to work with a wide variety of VR headsets.

Currently, VIVE Ultimate Tracker is compatible with the VIVE XR Elite and VIVE Focus 3. Soon, we’ll also be offering a beta program through our Discord server that will allow the VIVE Ultimate Tracker to work with PC VR headsets via SteamVR. But note that the VIVE Ultimate Tracker is not meant to be used with or replace base stations — you’ll need the VIVE Tracker (3.0) to reap the benefits of Lighthouse tracking.

We’re also planning VIVE Ultimate Tracker support for third-party standalone VR headsets. Stay tuned for even more updates.

(Own a VIVE XR Elite? Check out this VIVE Ultimate Tracker promotion just for you!)

Full-body tracking is a game-changer for standalone VR experiences.

4. Wireless connectivity

The VIVE Ultimate Tracker requires a VIVE Wireless Dongle to connect with your headset — that’s definitely something you’ll want to keep in mind before purchasing one.

But the dongle in itself is a wonder as it offers a low-latency 2.4 GHz radio frequency that lets you pair up to 5 VIVE Ultimate Trackers at a time within a 10-meter range. That means that you only need to plug one VIVE Wireless Dongle into your headset (via USB-C) to use multiple trackers simultaneously. It’s full-body tracking made easy!

And you don’t even need that many trackers to unlock full-body VR experiences. With a headset on your head and controllers in your hands, you could use the dongle to pair just three VIVE Ultimate Trackers (one on your waist, two on your legs) and enjoy a new level of immersion in VR.

The VIVE XR Elite + VIVE Ultimate Tracker Bundle has everything you need to get fully immersed.

Right now, you can actually get the complete setup — headset, controllers, dongle, and trackers — at a significant discount by purchasing the VIVE XR Elite + VIVE Ultimate Tracker Bundle. Or, if you’re not looking for a new headset, you can still save by getting the VIVE Ultimate Tracker 3+1 Kit, which has just the three trackers and one dongle.

With either offer, if you order by January 31, 2024, we’ll throw in TrackStraps you can use to conveniently wear your trackers, as well as a copy of Dance Dash on VIVEPORT to get your full-body gaming started. (These would make a great holiday gift for the gamer in your life — or for yourself!)

Dance Dash is a fun example of full-body tracking put to good use.

5. PC VR support

Speaking of games, you should also know that the VIVE Ultimate Tracker supports PC VR content on compatible devices. Enjoy high-precision gameplay coupled with heavy-duty graphics!

If you’re using VIVE XR Elite, just connect to a VR-ready computer over Wi-Fi or USB using the VIVE Streaming solution and take your pick from among the many titles on VIVEPORT and SteamVR. Or use VIVE Business Streaming if you’re on a VIVE Focus 3.

The VIVE Ultimate Tracker’s wireless tracking capabilities add another dimension of freedom to PC VR gaming.

6. Object tracking

Full-body tracking isn’t the only thing the VIVE Ultimate Tracker is good for. You can also attach it to physical objects to track them in VR for even more immersive gameplay experiences.

Imagine a virtual reality game where you’re playing using an object in the real world. Maybe you have a physical weapon in your hand that you need to swing around to fight virtual enemies. Putting a VIVE Ultimate Tracker on that weapon could let you faithfully carry its exact movements into VR.

Object tracking is also helpful in non-gaming use cases, such as virtual production (i.e., for tracking the movements of cameras) and training simulations (e.g., for tracking instruments, tools, and other equipment).

You can easily attach VIVE Ultimate Tracker to objects thanks to its quick-release mechanism, which lets it clip onto the tracker base in seconds. It also comes with a 1/4"-20 UNC screw-in mount that supports a wide range of mounting accessories like a standard tripod mount.

And if you need a different kind of mounting solution, we’ve provided access to the VIVE Ultimate Tracker’s CAD files so you can design and print your own.

7. Pogo pins

It’s important to know that the VIVE Ultimate Tracker does not just attach to objects, it can also integrate with them using its pogo pins.

Located on the bottom of the tracker, the 6 pogo pins can be used to receive inputs from a real-world object, effectively turning that object into a kind of VR controller.

For example, you could attach the VIVE Ultimate Tracker to a plastic gun and have the trigger activate a pogo pin that fires a virtual gun in VR. Other buttons or switches on the gun could activate pins that correspond to actions like pulling up the home menu.

Pogo pins are helpful for developers and arcade owners who want to make XR experiences more immersive and interactive.

8. Long-lasting battery

The last feature we’ll mention in this post is the VIVE Ultimate Tracker’s battery life. With 7 hours of continuous use per charge, each tracker will let you get multiple VR sessions out of it before needing to be powered back up again.

Expect charging each tracker to take about 2.2 hours using Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 or around 3.2 hours with a 5V/1A power source. If you have multiple VIVE Ultimate Trackers, you can seamlessly swap out any that need charging for fully charged ones by sliding them off and on the tracker bases wherever you’re wearing them.

This means you can keep tracking for a long time without having to completely stop what you’re doing!

VR trackers are making full-body immersion in VR a reality.

Don’t miss out.

The VIVE Ultimate Tracker is truly a one-of-a-kind accessory, and a must-have for standalone VR headset owners who want the complete immersive experience. It has even won a Laval Virtual Award. 

Learn more about our new VR tracker and how you can save on full-body tracking right now.