HTC Vive VR Headset Will Cost $799 – $200 More Than Oculus Rift

HTC has also revealed what the final consumer version will look like.

As its price tag suggests, Vive isn’t just a hollow headset that turns your smartphone into a virtual reality wearable. Vive Phone Services lets them receive calls and texts, as well as respond to those missed and check calendars, without the need to remove the headset. The headset, which will go up for pre-order February 29, will also come with two games: “Job Simulator” and “Fantastic Contraption”. Not an very bad lot has changed since we revealed the updated model from CES, but HTC has tweaked the headstrap a bit for added comfort and altered the branding a little.

The companies announced here that pre-orders for the $799 Vive VR will start at 10 a.m. ET on February 29, with general availability in early April.

KitGuru Says: A lot of people are excited about the HTC Vive but it is likely going to be a very costly purchase.

It’s the two wireless controllers, which serve as your virtual hands or weapons in the Vive world, that set the Vive apart from Oculus.

That’s a full $200 more than the $599 Oculus Rift, the most recognized of the forthcoming boutique VR headsets, and the only one with a firm release date: March 28. “Since announcing Vive this time past year, we have worked tirelessly with Valve to deliver the best VR experience on the market, winning multiple awards and receiving critical acclaim from media, consumers and the industry”.

HTC and Valve aren’t bothered by the price difference between the Vive and Rift. You place sensors around the room that detect the headset and the controllers, creating a unique experience for the user that feels like you’re walking around a virtual world. However, the Oculus Rift does not include motion controllers like the Vive does. The system has a few more parts than the one Oculus is offering, but the extra parts make the HTC Vive more immersive, which helps to justify the higher cost.