In an effort to boost consumer interest and make it more accessible to the buying public, HTC cut down the cost of its Vive virtual reality (VR) headset by $200, which brings its suggested retail price down to $599.
The markdown comes as the Vive VR's second holiday season approaches. "We want to really significantly boost VR adoption now across the globe," said Vive U.S. general manager Dan O'Brien in a report from The Verge. "We think now is the right time to reset the price."
Aside from the price cut, the Vive VR will also come with a one-month free trial of HTC's Viveport subscription service, which provides users access to various VR games and experiences.
The Vive VR was launched more than a year ago, but VR technology still has not been able make a breakthrough in the mass consumer market. Although no official numbers were revealed, HTC VR Senior Vice President Rikard Steiber told Variety that the company has been "very happy with the traction this year."
The price drop also reflects Facebook's move with its Oculus Rift, which saw a price cut of $200 in March lowering the cost to $499. On top of that, the Oculus Rift is temporarily available for $399 as part of its summer promotions.
HTC is also set to introduce a new and standalone VR headset that doesn't need to be tethered to a PC or a smartphone. The company is working with Google and its Daydream software to create the new device. While no specific pricing details have been revealed, the total cost of ownership of a standalone device will be cheaper compared to earlier VR headsets due to the fact that a PC or smartphone is no longer needed to operate it.
Similarly, Facebook is planning to launch a $200 standalone VR device by 2018. A device in this price range may finally break the market open for VR devices and software.
