HTC has finally announced a price and release date for their new VR headset called the HTC Vive which is Valve’s answer to the Oculus Rift and The PlayStation VR. The headset will be priced at $799.99 and will release on Early April 2016 although an exact release date has not been specified.
HTV Vive is unique because it features an innovative motion tracking technology called The lighthouse System, which enables tracking of your body and surroundings, for more info you can check the article that I wrote here, comparing the Steam VR to the rest of the competition and providing some thoughts as well.
Check out the final consumer version video of the HTC Vive below:
“Unveiling the Vive Consumer Edition and Pre-order Information
We are proud to announce, in partnership with Valve, the unveiling of the consumer edition of the ViveTM virtual reality system powered by Steam VR.
The countdown has begun and is ticking away toward 10 a.m. Eastern time on Monday 2/29 at which time pre-orders will open worldwide with pre-order fulfillment and full commercial availability starting early April 2016. Vive will be delivered as a complete kit allowing users to instantly jump into a fully immersive virtual environment using two wireless controllers, 360 degree tracking and room scale movement sensors. The integration of SteamVR into the bundle ensures that all Vive equipment is kept up-to-date with the latest features.
Taking Vive one step further, with refreshed branding and an updated head strap, the Vive consumer edition builds upon the innovative features that were introduced into the Vive Pre. The consumer edition of Vive also integrates phone functionality. Enabling you to stay connected to the real world, without exiting the virtual world, Vive Phone Services demonstrates the ability to combine both realities without losing touch of either. By allowing you to receive and respond to both incoming and missed calls, get text messages and send quick replies and check upcoming calendar invites directly through the headset, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities for both consumers and businesses.
The Vive will be priced at $799 and for a limited time the consumer edition will also ship with two fully-fledged VR experiences to get you started in the virtual world.
• Job Simulator, by Owlchemy Labs: In a firmly tongue-in-cheek world where robots have replaced all human jobs, step into the ‘Job Simulator’ to learn what it was like ‘to job’. (Trailer)
• Fantastic Contraption, by Northway Games in collaboration with Radial Games: Imagine walking around a grassy island floating in the sky, building a machine the size of a horse with your own hands, then watching it roll out into the world. (Trailer)
But it’s not just about gaming. In addition to these launch titles, HTC is working with developers to foster the creation of content that spans multiple sectors including entertainment, retail, education, design, healthcare and automotive that will ultimately transform people’s lives.
“From the beginning, Vive has been at the forefront of virtual reality, with HTC pioneering several ground breaking technologies,” comments Cher Wang, chairwoman and CEO, HTC. “Since announcing Vive this time last 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. With the Vive consumer edition we are now able to realize our ultimate vision; bringing Vive into homes around the globe so that people can experience immersive virtual reality in a away that fires the imagination and truly changes the world.”
Source – blog.htcvive.com
A Nintendo Switch trailer was also released.
According to SteamDB.
An announcement trailer was also released.
