Out of all the virtual reality (VR) headsets available in the market today, the HTC Vive is the most expensive of the bunch where it retailed for $800. Given that it is new technology, we suppose it is understandable that it is pricey, but at the same time the price tag also meant that it isn’t as accessible to gamers who might be on a budget.
However the good news is that if the HTC Vive is a VR headset that you’ve been eyeing but the price has deterred you, it looks like HTC will be giving the headset a permanent $200 discount which means that it will retail for $600 instead of $800. That being said despite the $200 price cut, the HTC Vive is still more expensive than the competition out there.
Facebook’s Oculus Rift has also recently received a price cut of its own of $100 where it is now retailing for $500 instead of $600. It is still a lot of money but by shaving off a couple of hundred bucks, HTC should be able to draw in more customers who might have been a bit put off with the hefty price tag from before.
According to HTC’s Viveport president and VR SVP Rikard Steiber, he admitted that the HTC Vive had yet to breakthrough to mainstream audiences yet, and that price was one of the reasons. “We need to make this more affordable for the mass market,” Steiber was quoted as telling Variety. Perhaps with this discount, that reality will indeed come true for the company.
Filed in . Read more about HTC, HTC Vive and Virtual Reality (VR).