Valve is partnering with Chinese company HTC to bring the Vive VR headset to market, but anyone expecting an affordable, mainstream product might be disappointed.
According to HTC marketing head Jeff Gattis, the Vive is intended to be a premium device aimed at the big-money consumer.
”We want to deliver the most premium VR experience the world has seen,” Gattis told MCV. ”That’s not marketing speak, but more about where Vive is positioned in the market. This is at the high end.”
Bad news for those with limited resources (most of us, basically) who were interested in taking a punt on VR. We’ll just have to wait for the tech to become widespread, at which point prices will start to go down.
“The price can always come down as the market grows,” explains Gattis. “We know there is some pent up demand there, so there’s not so much price sensitivity early on. But to get the broader consumer adoption we’re all hoping for, the industry will have to drive price down to make it more accessible.”
As for what that initial price might be, Gattis wasn’t saying. We’re still waiting for an official date for the Facebook-owned Oculus, but Valve already has one set in stone for the Vive – people with lots of spare cash will be able to buy one this November.
