HTC Viveport M Is New VR-Centric App Store for Android Devices

Earlier this year, HTC announced its virtual reality app store called Viveport, enabling access the latest VR content. Now, the company has announced a similar storefront exclusively for Android users. Termed HTC Viveport M, the store will be filled with VR apps and content for users, organised into categories. The store will feature content for all VR headsets, and is not exclusive to HTC Vive VR headsets.

Unlike Viveport, which is accessible through browsers, PC apps, and even mobile apps; Viveport M is only meant for Android users. Viveport M is currently only available as a closed beta, which means that only developers will be able to access it. However, HTC hints at commercial availability sometime around the end of the year. It will first roll out in China, and then gradually make its way to the other markets.

This announcement was made at the joint Developer Forum of Alibaba Cloud's annual Computing Conference in China. The launch of Viveport M indicates HTC's seriousness towards VR moving forward. Apart from VR-centric apps, the store will feature 360-degree content for use with or without a special headset. Alongside, HTC also announced the Viveport Arcade, a VR content management and sales platform customised for offline experience centres.

"Viveport Arcade will make it much easier for VR arcade operators to legally acquire the most compelling VR content available, while the system itself will allow both operators and developers to accurately share the revenue from end users. Pilot programs for Viveport Arcade have already been deployed in a number of locations in the last 1-2 months and will soon expand to hundreds of gaming centres, amusement parks and karaoke bars across China and globally," the company said in a statement.