HTC Takes on Sony With Headset That Lets You Roam Virtual Worlds

HTC Corp. is working with Valve Corp. to challenge Sony Corp. and Facebook Inc.’s Oculus as an early player in the virtual reality market.

HTC Vive -- a set of VR goggles to pair with a controller and sensor towers -- uses game developer Valve’s Steam VR tracking technology to let users walk around and explore simulated environments. Vive will run content from Valve, as well as Google Inc., Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and Time Warner Inc.’s HBO and will be available to consumers this year, the Taoyuan, Taiwan-based smartphone maker said.