LAS VEGAS—HTC might be pushing ahead in the virtual reality arms race. The company announced two new products here at CES that are very impressive steps forward in VR.

The Vive Pro is an upgraded version of the Vive, while the Vive Wireless Adaptor accessory finally gets rid of the dragging cables that have annoyed me since I first put on an Oculus Rift DK1.

The Vive Pro drastically increases the display resolution over the original Vive. It features two OLED panels with 1,440-by-1,600 resolution for each eye, a significant jump compared with the Vive's 1,080-by-1,200 resolution. It features the same 110-degree field of view and 90Hz refresh rate, which translates to a sharper picture that keeps the same wide angle and smooth motion as the Vive.

The Vive Pro also features two front-facing cameras instead of the single one found on the Vive. HTC is remaining quiet about what the stereo cameras represent, but they could make the Vive Pro eventually work with Windows Mixed Reality. Windows Mixed Reality headsets use a stereoscopic camera system for position tracking instead of the external sensor beacons of the Vive and Oculus Rift, and the addition of a second camera on the Vive Pro might open the headset up to compatibility with Microsoft's VR system. This is theoretical, and compatibility has not been announced.

HTC also showed off the new Vive Wireless Adaptor, a T-shaped device that attaches to the Vive or Vive Pro's head strap and wirelessly connects the headset to your computer. Instead of running a long set of cables to a PC, a much shorter length plugs into the adapter, which features an external battery pack that can be clipped to a belt or kept in a pocket. It uses Intel's WiGig technology, connecting to a PC in the 60GHz band instead of the more common 2.4 and 5GHz bands. According to HTC, this will reduce latency and improve performance.

I tried out the Vive Pro and Vive Wireless Adaptor separately at CES. HTC showed me the same virtual landscape on a Vive and Vive Pro, and let me compare the experiences. The Vive Pro impressed me with its sharpness, and currently stands as the most crisp VR experience I've tried. I could still see fine pixelation if I looked closely at the display rather than what it was showing, but it was still much sharper than the Vive.

I also played Doom VFR with a Vive using the Vive Wireless Adaptor. It was responsive and accurate, offering an identical VR experience to the wired Vive. I didn't notice any lag in the picture or motion tracking. I also appreciated the ability to move freely without needing to worry about a dragging cable, which remains one of my biggest complaints about high-end VR.

The Vive Pro and Vive Wireless Adaptor are extremely promising, and we'll take a closer look at them later this year when we get them into the lab. HTC hasn't announced pricing or availability for the Vive Pro or Vive Wireless Adaptor, but expects to ship the adaptor Q3 2018.