HTC to spin off Vive VR business as separate company?

HTC is not the company it once was. Once among the leading smartphone manufacturers, it is now struggling to remain relevant in an ultra-competitive market that has already claimed many victims. Like many other companies, it has tipped a toe into the virtual reality space with its upcoming HTC Vive headset as it tries to catch the next big technology wave. A report today now suggests that it could spin off its nascent Vive VR business into a separate company.

HTC first showed off the Vive VR headset at last year’s Mobile World Congress. In partnership with Valve, it has since been improving it since then. Now known as the Vive Pre, pre-orders are set to begin next month with shipments expected to begin in the spring.

Citing China’s Commercial Times, the report suggests that HTC CEO and Chairwoman Cher Wang will set up a new VR-focused company that would be wholly owned by HTC and Wang. Plans are still at the “initial stage,” suggesting that an official announcement may still be some time off.

With HTC’s name not quite what it was a few years back, the move could allow HTC to give the Vive VR a better chance to establish itself as a credible player under a different brand name. The separation could also ensure that the VR company lives on independently should HTC’s misfortunes continue.

Source : Focus Taiwan