HTC Vive Pro HMD pre-orders announced at $799, current Vive kit reduced to $499

Whether you’ve been waiting for a price drop or the next big piece of VR tech, HTC Vive announced that it will begin shipping its HTC Vive Pro HMD on April 5, with pre-orders opening up today. The price of the current Vive kit has also been reduced $100, bringing the price for the regular Vive kit to $499.

From the official HTC Vive blog:

“With the Vive Pro we are delivering the best quality display and visual experience to the most discerning VR enthusiasts. Our goal has always been to offer the most premium VR platform available and to drive adoption for VR,” said Daniel O’Brien, GM U.S, VIVE. “By lowering the price of the current Vive, we are making VR more accessible while expanding the potential market for developers. Whether you’re a VR enthusiast or new to the platform, there’s never been a better time to join the most complete VR platform available.”

Vive PRO HMD pre-orders begin today on Vive.com and other Vive retailers with units shipping globally on April 5th. Current Vive owners can upgrade their headset for the best display, audio, and comfort in the industry. The Vive Pro comes with dual-OLED displays, making for a crisper image resolution of 2880 x 1600 combined, a 78% increase in resolution over the current Vive HMD. In addition to visuals, Vive Pro also features integrated, high-performance headphones with a built-in amplifier that creates a heightened sense of presence and sound through noise cancellation capabilities. These improved graphics and audio allow for users to experience VR with enhanced clarity, making it the most realistic and immersive VR experience on the market today.

In addition, the Vive Pro has been rebuilt to maximize comfort for the most demanding VR users. The Vive Pro features a redesigned head-strap that balances the weight of the headset more evenly and features easy simple adjustment buttons for Vive users with glasses.
The Vive Pro works with both SteamVR Tracking 1.0 and 2.0, meaning existing Vive customers can upgrade the headset only and continue to use current generation controllers and base stations.

With more than 3,000 titles available, Vive continues to be the platform of choice for developers and consumers alike. Operating in over 60 countries, HTC’s content platform Viveport brings premium experiences in entertainment, education, arcade, arts & culture, and enterprise to a global audience. In addition, Viveport Subscription allows consumers to choose from over 400 pieces of content from a highly-curated offering, giving consumers the opportunity to discover the best VR content available. Vive Pro purchases made before June 3rd come with a free six-month trial of Viveport Subscription where owners will get the chance to play 30 titles with their new HMD. Pro purchases made after the first 60 days of orders will come with a free two-month trial. The price of Viveport Subscription will increase to $8.99 on March 22nd. Current Subscribers and those who sign up before the increase takes effect, will be locked in at the $6.99 price point through at least the end of the year.

Consumers who buy the current Vive full kit at the new price of $499, will continue to receive a free two-month Viveport Subscription, as well as a redemption code for the most popular VR title, Fallout 4 VR, a $59.99 value.

Check out the announcement trailer above, and stay tuned for more news here on Gaming Trend.

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