TAIPEI, April 5 — With its standard VR headset benefiting from a recent price drop, the Vive Pro Starter Kit bundle packs in everything a newcomer would need for HTC’s upgraded experience.
Having already reduced the Vive’s base model setup to US$499 (RM1,929) and introduced the headset-only Vive Pro at US$799, HTC has now announced a US$1,099 Vive Pro Starter Kit and an accompanying April 5 release date for those new to its VR arena.
In addition to the Vive Pro headset, the Starter Kit includes a pair of Vive 1.0 room-scale base stations and a pair of handheld Vive 1.0 controllers
(The 1.0 designation is significant, as HTC plans to unveil Vive 2.0 accessories in due course.)
Purchased separately, the set would cost US$220 more—though the official Vive website is currently out of stock where the base station and controller 1.0 specification is concerned.
Existing owners of the standard Vive headset are being offered a US$100 voucher to the Viveport online store should they upgrade.
Presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2018, the Vive Pro bumps visual resolution from 2160 x 1200 by 78per cent to 2880 x 1600.
Additionally, a redesigned fit is intended to make the headset more comfortable, especially during extended play, in conjunction with integrated headphones and two noise-cancellation microphones.
HTC’s room-scale Vive and the seated Facebook-owned Oculus Rift both retail at US$499, though need to be powered by a more valuable PC (typically US$799 and beyond); PlayStation’s PS VR (US$399) offers an entry-level experience and connects to the PlayStation 4 (US$299) or PlayStation 4 Pro (US$399.) — AFP-Relaxnews
