Virtual reality is beginning to take its formative steps toward consumer launch, and the latest head-mounted device to lock down a release window is the HTC Vive, with HTC and Valve primed to open pre-orders from February 29 ahead of its debut in April.
Word of an eventual release date for the Vive comes mere days after the developer unveiled its second – and seemingly final – development kit, the Vive Pre. Boasting a reworked tracking system not to mention improved controllers and a front-facing camera, there’s still no mention of an exact due date for the HTC Vive, let alone an official price point.
Ever since Oculus planted the flag early last week with an asking price of $599 for the Oculus Rift, industry analysts and punters have used this as something of a barometer for the two chief competitors incubating in development: namely the PlayStation VR and HTC Vive. In terms of the latter, early reports suggest that it will be more expensive than the Rift, perhaps pushing it into the region of $700-800, with both HTC and Valve considering the tech to be the more advanced out of the three.
All in all, there are still many barriers to entry before the video game industry experiences a major uptake in its nascent VR install base, particularly when the computers required to run headsets such as the Vive and Rift will cost upwards of $1000. Still, we’ll know soon enough what price point Valve will settle on for the HTC Vive, with more information set to be revealed closer to the aforementioned February pre-order date.