VIVE Facial Tracker

Overview

VIVE Facial Tracker is HTC's lower-face tracker for the VIVE Pro headsets. It launched in the US on March 24, 2021 at $129.99, the same day as VIVE Tracker (3.0). It captures mouth, jaw and cheek movement so avatars can talk and pull faces in real time. HTC has since removed it from its US, UK and EU stores, so it is discontinued. For VIVE Focus 3 and VIVE Focus Vision, HTC sells a separate Facial Tracker for VIVE Focus Series instead.

Design and specs

The tracker is a small module that hangs below the headset. It uses dual cameras with infrared illumination, so it keeps tracking in low light. It tracks at 60 Hz with a response time under 10 milliseconds, which keeps lip movement in sync with your voice. HTC says it captures 38 blend shapes across the lips, jaw, teeth, tongue, cheeks and chin. It covers only the lower half of the face; eye tracking needs a VIVE Pro Eye. HTC has not published a weight for the tracker.

Compatibility

HTC lists the VIVE Pro and VIVE Pro Eye series as compatible, and the HTC VIVE Pro 2 product page offers it as an accessory. Pairing it with a VIVE Pro Eye gives eye and lower-face tracking together. HTC's support pages state that the tracker is not supported by the VIVE Wireless Adapter, so you need a wired PC connection. HTC does not list the VIVE XR Elite or any standalone headset; the XR Elite used the later VIVE Full Face Tracker.

Setup and use

You remove the face cushion and compartment cover, stick the tracker to the bottom of the headset with its adhesive strips, and plug its cable into the USB-C port inside the headset compartment. A cable clip holds the lead in place along the vents. The SR_Runtime software installs with the VIVE software and must be running together with SteamVR. HTC's own example app was VIVE Sync. Developers add support through the SRanipal SDK for Unity and Unreal Engine, and each app must support facial tracking.

Who it is for

The VIVE Facial Tracker suits VIVE Pro, VIVE Pro Eye and VIVE Pro 2 owners who want expressive avatars in PC VR, plus developers working with SRanipal. Since HTC no longer sells it, expect to buy it used. Check the cable and adhesive mount before buying.