Oculus has had a pretty good run for the last six months, slashing the cost of the Rift first to $599 all-inclusive (meaning both the headset and Touch controllers), then to $499—with a temporary sale price of $399 for the summer. And through all that, HTC has done…nothing.
Until today! In a classic “Competition is good for the consumer” moment, HTC has now dropped the price of the Vive by $200, pinning it at $599. I wouldn’t say it’s muchmore affordable than the $799 HTC was asking before, but it’s a step.
More importantly, it brings the Vive back into spitting distance of Oculus, especially once the “Summer of Rift” promotion ends and the Rift jumps back up from $399 to $499. At that point the difference between a Vive and a Rift will be a mere $100. When the gap was $400? Yeah, buy a Rift. When the gap is $100? Hm, maybe save those pennies and buy a Vive. I still think HTC has the superior experience, thanks to the accuracy of the Lighthouse tracking stations and the commitment (so far) to openness.
IDG / Hayden Dingman
The new, smaller gap is consistent even if you opt for the “Best” version of both headsets. For the Rift, you’ll likely want to spend an extra $80 to get a third position-tracking camera. For the Vive, an extra $100 gets you the Deluxe Audio Strap, which adds built-in headphones and a more ergonomic feel. That puts you at around $580 and $700 for the Rift and Vive, respectively. (Just make sure your graphics card is up to snuff, too.)
Those still aren’t mass-market prices by any means, but we’re getting there. The bigger question at this point is whether a new Oculus Rift is right around the corner. Rumors currently point to a new headset unveiled at the annual Oculus Connect conference this fall. What that does to the market? Who knows.
We’ll keep you updated. For now, enjoy the price war.
[Source”indianexpress”]