Google tried to create some buzz for its Daydream VR platform at its I/O developer conference back in May, even though public appetite for the tech seems to be waning. Standalone headsets were announced as the next evolution of the Daydream experience, but since then it's all gone rather quiet. We now know that HTC has canceled its plans to release a standalone Daydream headset, and is instead concentrating its efforts on China with a different standalone headset and development platform.

The VIVE Focus VR headset may well be the same product as the planned Daydream model, just with different branding. It was first announced in July and has now been fully unveiled at the VIVE Developer Conference 2017. The headset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip and is the first commercial device of its kind to offer "world-scale" tracking, allowing for six degrees-of-freedom. It has a high-resolution AMOLED screen, of undefined specification, and is designed with maximum comfort in mind, which is important for long gaming sessions.

The headset is optimized for the VIVE Wave open platform, which was also announced at the conference. The toolset should make development easier, and 12 other hardware partners are already signed up to integrate VIVE Wave and VIVEPORT content into upcoming products. HTC hopes the introduction of this SDK will ease the fragmentation that has plagued the VR market in China in recent years.

To learn more about the new headset and platform, or to apply for a development kit, visit the VIVE China site. There's not yet any information on a release date or pricing.

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