The virtual reality headset wars are now arriving. Oculus shot first, making the pre-orders for its headset available last week. Today we have word on when HTC will return fire. According to the CEO of HTC, the HTC Vive virtual reality headset will start taking pre-orders beginning Feb. 29.
“Yes, smartphones are important, but to create a natural extension to other connected devices like wearables and virtual reality is more important," Cher Wang told Telegraph. Wang is the CEO of HTC. “Virtual reality is something people have talked about for 20, 30 years, in movies, in books and finally it is real,” she said. “VR has been on our minds for a long time, and now HTC has made virtual reality real.”
While HTC plans on starting pre-orders Feb. 29, there is no word on the price of the headset. For comparison, however, the Oculus Rift has been confirmed to cost a hefty $599.
If you don't want to pre-order the Vive, instead waiting for a proper release, you are going to have to hold off until April. There have been no official release dates mentioned yet, but HTC has confirmed the Vive will be coming out some time between the end of March and the beginning of May.
This news comes after HTC unveiled its second generation VR headset, the HTC Vive Pre. The major difference between the HTC Vive and the Vive Pre is the Pre has a front-facing camera mounted to the headset. This camera will allow for images of the real world to get passed through to the user. Basic examples for how this will be useful included allowing users to grab a drink or find a chair and sit down without having to take the headset off.
The Vive Pre will also feature re-designed controllers, a brighter visual display and more foam inserts. These new inserts will allow for any facial type (both with and without glasses) to more comfortably fit the headset on your face.
So what do you think? Are you interested in pre-ordering the HTC Vive? Do you think you will instead wait for the second generation Vive Pre? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
