Steam VR: Vive headset priced at $800
Steam VR won't come cheap, with Valve and HTC setting a price tag that makes the Oculus Rift looks positively thrifty.
The Vive virtual reality headset has been priced at $799 ahead of an "early April" launch. That's American dollarydoos, in case you thought maybe we'd missed a symbol.
It's not just a headset, though; that $800 nets you two wireless controllers and Lighthouse sensors, allowing users to experience room-scale VR right out of the box.
For a limited time, purchasers will also receive Job Simulator and Fantastic Contraption (trailers follow). Pre-orders open at 10:00am ET on February 29, according to the Vive blog.
The HTC and Valve collaboration has evolved since its last public showing, and the final consumer model had an overhauled strap. It also boasts integrated smartphone compatibility called Vive Phone Service, which lets you answer and make calls and texts as well as look at calendar invites.
Vive is the second of three high-end VR headsets to be priced. The Oculus Rift launches in March for $600, and sold out within an hour of pre-orders going live even though this hefty price tag doesn't include controllers or other accessories. Despite consumers justifiably expecting something closer to $350, Oculus has said the headset is "obscenely cheap".
It all seems a bit more reasonable if you compare it to the cost of a big fancy telly, but we're very interested to see how Sony prices the PlayStation VR in relation to its rivals. Thank goodness Samsung's Gear is a bit easier on the wallet, eh?
