HTC readies Vive VR for a 5G future with China Mobile partnership

HTC is taking steps to bring its Vive VR headsets into the future, partnering with China Mobile to allow for 5G connectivity advances in the space.

As both standalone headsets and phone-powered headsets continue their rise, the move from HTC is aiming to help bring a stronger mobile connection to those who don't have a stable network to get the best out of their VR time.

Read this: The best Vive VR games you need to play

The pair have teamed up for the 5G Devices Forerunner Initiative, to help kickstart large scale tests of 5G devices, with the wider aim of the project to also uncover new uses for those devices before the big 5G rollout in 2020.

This exploration will only take place in China, naturally, though any new applications for VR that are developed through the collaboration are likely to make their own waves around the world through commercial rollouts.

Speaking of which, China Mobile - the biggest of three carriers in the country - will also be aiming to help HTC boost its sales in the region as part of the partnership, though just how much the Vive headsets will be a part of that push is so far unknown.

Announcing its plans for a 5G future wasn't the only reason HTC was at Mobile World Congress Shanghai, either. The Taiwanese giant was also showing off new games for the Vive Focus - ones that included the use of a connected smartphone, as well as multiplayer offerings.

The Focus, of course, is still only available in China, though we do know that it's set for a global rollout before 2018 is in the books. We eagerly await that, as well as the developments currently being cooked up by the 5G Devices Forerunner Initiative.