HTC VIVE, the leader in premium virtual reality (VR), today announced an exclusive partnership with PNY Technologies to distribute the new VIVE Pro Secure headset in North America. The new VIVE Pro Secure is designed to meet the specific privacy and security requirements of secure environments that require Authority to Operate (ATO)—such as government agencies and organizations—in addition to education, medical, and financial institutions. This professional-grade VR system provides all the benefits and features of the award-winning VIVE Pro, including top-tier graphics, premium audio, and SteamVR room-scale tracking, with hardware modifications that restrict all radios, cameras, and wireless communication functions for secure performance.

Use-cases for VR in government organizations have multiplied over the years and continue to grow as agencies adapt many of the best practices deployed in the private sector for use in training, data visualization, and manufacturing, among other applications. However, one of the major barriers to any technology adoption for organizations that require ATO is access to hardware that meets specific security and privacy requirements. The new Vive Pro Secure is a first-of-its-kind system offering hardware modifications to ensure optimal performance in the most demanding secure environments."Our enterprise customers using Vive Pro and Vive Pro Eye solutions already benefit from leveraging VR—including reduced costs and time spent on various tasks such as employee training, design, and data analysis," said Daniel O'Brien, General Manager, HTC Americas. "Now we can offer those benefits and the same professional-grade VR experience to secure environments who require the utmost in security and privacy with Vive Pro Secure."

"PNY is looking forward to our new, strategic partnership with HTC, being the exclusive HTC Vive Pro Secure partner throughout North America," said Steven Kaner, PNY's Sr. Vice President, Sales and Marketing. "As the only enterprise, government and military grade secure VR headset with ATO, HTC's Vive Pro Secure allows PNY to open up a key segment of the expanding VR professional marketplace and will complement and extend our extensive professional graphics product portfolio."

In addition to the secure hardware modifications, Vive Pro Secure includes access to the offline SteamVR library, which allows installation in a secure environment without connecting to the internet. To support the security review process, additional documentation is available on the Vive Pro Secure support page, including a letter of volatility and an available hardware modification summary.

"For years, various U.S. government agencies have identified impactful use-cases and applications for room-scale VR experiences, but often found themselves unable to leverage those capabilities in government facilities due to the security concerns related to wireless communications devices," said John Grant, a technology manager for one of the leading defense agencies and manager of the quarterly Virtual Worlds Forum. "Since 2016, HTC Vive has coordinated with numerous U.S. government organizations to understand the opportunity with room-scale VR, as well as address the key barriers to adoption. Vive Pro Secure has provided U.S. government organizations and agencies a unique option to leverage VR in sensitive facilities."

Vive Pro Secure features dual-OLED displays with a combined resolution of 2880 x 1600 pixels for crisp text and graphics. The headset includes integrated high-performance headphones with 3D spatial integration for richer sound and an immersive experience. The headstrap has enhanced ergonomics and comfort, including a sizing dial for a more balanced headset that decreases weight on the front. In addition, VIVE Enterprise Business Warranty & Services is included for enterprise-grade support and services.

Vive Pro Secure is available now.