HTC Vive VR headset could be pricier than you like

News
By Michael Rougeau
published

HTC exec hints at high SteamVR price

HTC Valve SteamVR Vive

HTC and Valve's Vive VR headset impressed a whole lot of people when it debuted this month, but one exec has revealed that its high quality virtual reality will come at a high price.

"We want to deliver the most premium VR experience the world has seen. That's not marketing speak, but more about where Vive is positioned in the market. This is at the high end," HTC Connected Products Marketing Executive Director Jeff Gattis told MCV.

"Starting with the premium experience, even if it has a slightly higher price point, is the right thing to do from a strategic point of view," he continued. "The price can always come down as the market grows. We know there is some pent up demand there, so there's not so much price sensitivity early on."

He added that it will ultimately be up to the industry to drive the price down over time, which could happen when other form factors or devices arrive.

Since we've yet to actually see a premium VR headset hit the market, there's no way to know what will happen when Oculus Rift, Project Morpheus, Vive VR and others arrive.

We do know that the Rift is expected to come in at $400 (about £270, AU$525) at the most, and if Vive is pricier than that, HTC and Valve will probably have some convincing to do.

Via Ars Technica

Michael Rougeau
Michael Rougeau

Michael Rougeau is a former freelance news writer for TechRadar. Studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Northeastern University, Michael has bylines at Kotaku, 1UP, G4, Complex Magazine, Digital Trends, GamesRadar, GameSpot, IFC, Animal New York, @Gamer, Inside the Magic, Comic Book Resources, Zap2It, TabTimes, GameZone, Cheat Code Central, Gameshark, Gameranx, The Industry, Debonair Mag, Kombo, and others.


Micheal also spent time as the Games Editor for Playboy.com, and was the managing editor at GameSpot before becoming an Animal Care Manager for Wags and Walks.