HTC lowers Vive price to compete with Facebooks Oculus

HTC ViveHTC has made the first permanent price cut of its VR headset, the HTC Vive, just over a month after Facebook dropped the price of the Oculus Rift.  

The Vive headset price has been lowered by $200/£200 to $599 in the US and £599 in the UK – though that is still $200/£200 considerably more expensive than the price of an Oculus Rift VR headset and Touch controllers at its current limited time only price. The Rift will settle on a price of $499 once the deal is over, down $100 from its original $599 price.

According to Engadget, HTC’s decision to lower the price isn’t because there is a need to clear inventory due to poor sales or the arrival of a new headset, and is strictly a competitive move. Even with the lowered price, people still get trial access to the Viveport monthly app subscription service, along with free titles like Everest VR, Google’s Tilt Brush and Richie’s Plank Experience.

“Our goal at Vive has always been to offer the best and most advanced VR system and drive mass market adoption for VR across the globe,” said Cher Wang, chairwoman at HTC. “We’re continuing to deliver on that commitment with this new price for Vive, making VR more accessible to a broader audience and driving the entire VR industry forward. Vive’s game-changing technology, best-in-class content and unmatched global partners are fulfilling the promise of VR like never before. With highly anticipated titles, and the upcoming launch of Vive Tracker, there has never been a better time to embrace Vive, and enjoy the most immersive VR experience available.”