The HTC Vive will cost $799

HTC today announced new details about the HTC Vive’s launch. We know pre-orders for the VR headset are beginning on the very last day of this month and it’ll start shipping in April, but we didn’t know a price. Now we do.

Wait for it… it’s $799 (which is much nicer than the $1,500 that was once rumored). That seems a bit bloaty at first, but there are a couple of important things to remember about the HTC Vive:

• It’s an actual VR headset with its own hardware and advanced spatial awareness technology, as opposed to something like the Gear VR that uses your phone.
• It comes with 2 motion controllers. The Oculus Rift — priced at $599 — doesn’t come with any.

You’ll have to decide for yourself if those points can help you forgive such an expensive purchase. We’ll tell you that the device certainly does offer a VR experience unlike anything else on the market, and you can see some of the cool things made possible by the HTC Vive for yourself. Let us know if you’ll be buying one once it’s available.