Short answers, pulled from the story.
The HTC Vive was officially unveiled to the public on the 1st of March 2015 during the Mobile World Congress keynote. This event marked the transition from prototype demonstrations in 2014 to a public announcement of the device.
The HTC Vive was created through a partnership between HTC Corporation and Valve Corporation. HTC handled the hardware engineering while Valve provided the software platform known as SteamVR.
The HTC Vive uses external base stations known as lighthouses to emit timed pulses of infrared laser light for tracking. These base stations work with photosensors in the headset and controllers to pinpoint location with sub-millimeter accuracy within a 15-foot by 15-foot area.
The HTC Vive Pro 2 was unveiled on the 11th of May 2021 with screens offering 2448 by 2448 pixels per eye. This model features a 120-hertz refresh rate and a 120-degree field of view to minimize motion blur.
HTC pivoted the Vive line away from the consumer gaming market in 2021 because the market became dominated by artificially subsidized price points from Facebook Inc. The company shifted focus to the enterprise and professional sectors to bring real value through training and simulation applications.
The HTC Vive hardware ecosystem includes the Vive Tracker for limb tracking, the Deluxe Audio Strap released in June 2017, and the Vive Wireless Adapter launched in September 2018. Additional accessories include the Vive Facial Tracker announced in March 2021 for facial motion capture.