In December, HTC Corp. and Valve Corp. made a surprise announcement that they would be delaying the release of the HTC Vive VR headset by several months due to “a very, very big technological breakthrough,” and now it looks like we might possibly have an answer for what that breakthrough might be.

This week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), HTC unveiled the newest model of Vive, which now includes a camera on the front of the headset that will allow users to see their real world environment while still wearing the device.

“Vive Pre brings elements of the real world into the VR realm,” HTC said in a statement. “A newly developed front-facing camera allows you to do more both inside and outside your virtual world by blending physical elements into the virtual space. Being able to take a seat, find your drink and carry on conversations without removing your headset is only the beginning of what’s possible.”

The newest version of Vive also includes improved motion controllers, which are now more ergonomic and contain lithium polymer batteries that can be recharged through a micro-USB cable.

A new camera … so what?

While a camera may not sound like the “very, very big technological breakthrough” we were promised, it has the potential to unlock an entirely new kind of functionality for high-end virtual reality that, if it sticks, could become a standard feature for VR devices in the future.

Of course, the obvious benefit is both comfort and safety, as the camera will make it easier to move around a bit without tripping over something or spilling your drink all over the ridiculously expensive computer you had to build to be able to handle Vive.

The camera also creates the opportunity for augmented or mixed reality application for Vive, and while the Vive headset is far less mobile than something like Samsung Gear VR or Microsoft HoloLens, it is also far more powerful and capable of much higher performance.

Unless it gets another delay, Vive is set for commercial release in April 2016.

Image credit: /u/Heaney555 | Reddit