Valve and HT have announced their VR headset, Vive VR, will ship this April for $799 USD.
With pre-orders opening February 29th, Vive VR is noticeably more expensive than the already announced $600 price-point of Oculus Rift. But in all, the consumer edition will include the headset, two wireless controllers, 360 degree tracking and room scale movement sensors, and two games.
Rift’s similar Touch controllers are not included with the Oculus Rift and will be sold separately at a later date.
Vive VR differs from its competitors even further in the fact it allows full 3D mapping of a room, and tracks the player’s position in it. Valve and HTC have announced the consumer edition will have integrated phone functionality. Players will be able to receive and respond to incoming and missed calls, text messages, and even calendar alerts.
While pre-orders of the Rift received EVE Valkyrie and Lucky’s Tale, Vive will include Job Simulator and Fantastic Contraption.
Job Simulator is a tongue-in-cheek game in which players must complete mundane jobs in a world where robots have replaced the human work force.
Fantastic Contraption on the other hand allows players to build strange contraptions, tasking you to make them run.
“But it’s not just about gaming,” the announcement made sure to clarify. “In addition to these launch titles, HTC is working with developers to foster the creation of content that spans multiple sectors including entertainment, retail, education, design, healthcare and automotive that will ultimately transform people’s lives.”
The only other major VR headset that has yet to set a price-point is PlayStation VR. Though Sony had previously said it would be out in the first half of 2016, a recent interview with the head of GameStop suggests otherwise.