While the world still weeps over the lofty US$600 price tag of the Oculus Rift that once was set to deliver virtual reality technology in the hands of the mainstream, the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer wants to remind everyone that it, too, is developing its own virtual reality headset in partnership with Valve. And now, the company seems to be almost ready in fully showcasing the prowess of its Vive VR headset as it has confirmed that it will be opening preorders.
The Taiwanese electronics giant, which has built its strong reputation in the Android market, has confirmed that its Vive headset will be open for preorders on Leap Day, Feb. 29, 2016. The news was first reported by the Telegraph and then was followed by a confirmation by a spokesperson from the Taiwanese company.
However, the pricing still seems to be undisclosed at the moment. Hence, the company will be revealing how much it will cost, when it will be shipped and how the consumer release will look like before it closes in on the preorder date.
It's also important that the Oculus Rift had set the benchmark pricing for virtual reality headsets to a certain extent. However, many were shocked over the official price of the company's offer -- seeing that its founder, Palmer Lucky, seemingly suggested that it will be coming with a "ballpark" US$350 a couple of months back.
Oculus further notes that it doesn't "make money" on the Rift hardware. As such, it's exciting to see if HTC will be competing with the Facebook-owned company or put a premium on its own offering.
The HTC Vive is developed in partnership with video game developer giant Valve. A new development kit has been announced during the Consumer Electronics Show, and its official commercial release will take place in April.
