Not only has HTC Vive greatly expanded its range of Cosmos virtual reality headsets for the here and now, it has unveiled its idea of future of the tech in its Project Proton design concept.

Originally scheduled to debut at the now-cancelled Mobile World Congress, the HTC Vive Proton headset comes in two designs. They each replace the front panel with glass, with an all-in-one model being more conventional in style to the brand's existing devices.

However, the second offers a much more bold design, with a potentially see-through faceplate and glasses/googles-style form factor.

According to HTC EMEA's general manager, Graham Wheeler, Proton's lighter, more compact form factor should attract a wider audience to the benefits of VR: "[Proton] is a display headset with a connecting modular - the battery or processor," he explained to Pocket-lint.

"We're really excited about the future, it's only going to get smaller, better, lighter, and more people are going to enjoy VR,"

There is no indication yet as to when the HTC Vive Proton headset might be released as a real consumer product. It won't be in 2020 though, with the company very much focusing on its Cosmos family of devices and interchangeable faceplates.

You can listen to our extensive interview with Graham Wheeler in the Pocket-lint Podcast released this Friday, 21 February 2020.