You’ll soon be able to pre-order both previously announced products.
HTC’s Mobile World Congress announcements included the reveal of new payment plans as well as pricing and release dates for previously announced accessories, the Vive Deluxe Audio Strap and the Vive Tracker.
Both unveiled at CES earlier this year, the Vive Tracker will be available on March 27 for developer purchase through Vive.com. The Vive Deluxe Audio Strap will go on sale for pre-order on May 2, with expected delivery in June. Both products will be available for a suggested retail price of $99.99 (€119.99, £99.99, ¥799.00).
We’ve been excited about the Tracker since day one after seeing it in action during demos. The hardware device, that can fit in the palm of your hand, can be attached to a range of accessories and peripherals, like a baseball bat or rifle, bringing real world objects into the virtual. An exciting evolution of the Vive platform, the Vive Tracker has already seen heavy demand, receiving over 2,300 applications for the first 1,000 Trackers. According to HTC, applications crossed a wide spectrum of non-gaming applications of VR areas such as Education, Enterprise, Training, Health and Wellness and more. In fact, nearly 60% of applications were non-gaming or non-entertainment content.
“Building an object that can be tracked alongside the Vive can be complex.” said Joe Ludwig of Valve. “But the Vive tracker makes tracking objects in VR so simple that anyone can do it. We’re thrilled that HTC has developed this product and we’re looking forward to seeing what people build.”
The Vive Tracker will be available for purchase in two phases. The Vive Tracker will first be on sale for those looking to create Vive content by March 27. General consumer availability of the Vive Tracker is expected later in the year, as the accessories and content ecosystem for Vive Tracker is built and new accessories are ready to purchase for consumers.
When it comes to the Deluxe Audio Strap, the integrated headset audio accessory will be included with all new Vive BE sales going forward. Customers will receive their Deluxe Audio Strap with general consumer availability in June.
Vive Financing
One of the biggest barriers to entry for consumers looking to dive into premium VR headset ownership usually always comes down to price. HTC knows this, which is why they have announced a number of new financing options for Vive that will be available in North America through Vive.com and China through JD.com. These new offers reduce the upfront costs when purchasing a Vive.
The new financing options for North America and China are already available today at various monthly price points depending on the financing term.
For North America:
- 0% Financing for 6 months for a total monthly cost of $138.00 (plus tax and shipping)
- 0% Financing for 12 months for a total monthly cost of $66.58 (plus tax and shipping)
- 7.99% Financing for 24 months for a total monthly cost of $40.13 (plus tax and shipping)
For China:
- 0% Financing for 3 months for a total monthly cost of ¥2,296 (tax and shipping included)
- 0% Financing for 6 months for a total monthly cost of ¥1,148 (tax and shipping included)
- 0% Financing for 12 months for a total monthly cost of ¥574 (tax and shipping included)
Shipping and tax for financing vary by destination address.
