HTC has recently released the price of their VR gaming entry - the HTC Vive - for a staggering amount of $799 in the U.S. The price is set way much higher than the Oculus Rift, which was previously announced at $600.
According to CNET, there are several reasons why the HTC Vive has a steep price for those who think the price is outrageous. Apparently, compared to the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive offers two wireless Vive game controllers for dual-handed play, full-room sensors and a headset.
Aside from the hardware aspect of the HTC Vive, it also comes with two free games, mainly "Job Simulator" and "Fantastic Contraption." "Job Simulator" is a project of Owlchemy Labs, while "Fantastic Contraption" is developed by Northway Games in collaboration with Radial Games.
While HTC Vive and Oculus Rift offer similar features on their respective VR sets, the HTC Vive has a distinct trademark when it comes to its Dual Controllers. With Xbox's Oculus Rift, the controller offers limited movement, compared to HTC Vive's full-room position sensing.
With HTC Vive, the player can maximize his movement without restricting activities to a limited amount of space. The Oculus Rift, on the other hand, has already introduced the Touch Controller, which can make a difference in its stand against the HTC Vive, but currently, the Rift only offers the Xbox Controllers.
For those who are wondering when it will be available, the HTC Vive Blog announced that the HTC Vive VR will be available for pre-order starting Feb. 29, Monday. However, it will not be until April that HTC will make the Vive available for commercial. The two games included in the bundle will be available for a limited time only.
In a statement made by HTC's CEO and chairwoman Cher Wang, she said "From the beginning, Vive has been at the forefront of virtual reality, with HTC pioneering several ground breaking technologies, 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."
Watch the HTC Vive gameplay hands-on below: