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Although many fans were disappointed to learn the new HTC Vive won't be coming out before Christmas, the early 2016 outing has once again been teased by supposed images of a finished consumer version of the VR headgear.

According to PC Gamer, resourceful fans on Reddit have compiled what appear to be early images of the consumer version of the HTC Vive headset. Althought the images themselves were not yet confirmed as genuine, the images were allegedly leaked on the HTC website itself, sparking rumors that the consumer version of the VR accessory is well on its way for a 2016 appearance.

The industry follower also mentioned that while the images were for the most part unconfirmed, the look of the Vive headset on the photos was not that much different from previous confirmed images of the Vive, with only subtle differences. The new Vive has a slightly smoother finish on the front. In addition, the camera also shifted its place, and can now be seen on the bottom part of the faceplate.

Meanwhile, Road to VR supposed that instead of a finished consumer version, what the Redditors saw was the second-gen developer's kit that was supposed to also come out early next year, before the final consumer edition releases in April. The industry follower also added that aside from the change in the headgear itself, HTC also seemed to have made some modifications on the hand controllers, making them smoother. There were also pronounced shifts in the design, with the tracking portion of the controllers now having a hollowed ring design, which was absent from the developer's kit before.

Although the images have already been taken down, and with HTC not commenting on the issue, some fans are convinced that the Vive headset is already on track for release next year, and will not be delayed anymore. Recently, HTC CEO Cher Wang commented on the "delay" issue, adding that the release of the Vive headset was set back from December to April 2016 because the company made a "very, very big technological breakthrough."