Lenovo Explorer Hits $200 as Steep Discounts Continue for Windows VR Headsets

If you’ve been eyeing a Windows VR headset, you’ll be interested to see the huge discounts currently available from Amazon US on every Windows VR headset. For a limited time, Microsoft is now offering the Lenovo Explorer headset & controller bundle new for just $200.

Updated 4/17/18

The Windows “Mixed Reality” VR headsets launched just a few months ago, but you can already pick one up with some steep savings currently available from Amazon US. Here’s a quick look at each headset’s MSRP and the currently available price (brand new, including controllers):

• Acer Windows Mixed Reality Headset w/ Controllers
  • MSRP: $400
  • Currently: $245 (39% discount)
• Dell Visor w/ Controllers
  • MSRP: $450
  • Currently: $245 (45% discount)
• HP Windows Mixed Reality Headset w/ Controllers
  • MSRP: $450
  • Currently: $245 (45% discount)
• Lenovo Explorer w/ Controllers (better deal from Microsoft below)
  • MSRP: $400
  • Currently: $270 (33% discount)

For a limited time, Microsoft is offering the Lenovo Explorer headset for just $200, a whopping 50% discount for the headset & controller bundle. That beats Amazon’s current price on the headset of $270.

Meanwhile, the $500 Samsung Odyssey headset is currently the only one of the bunch that can’t be found at a discount (though we have seen it drop by $100 for limited periods in the past). With best-in-class resolution of 1,600 × 1,440 (recently matched by the release of the much more expensive Vive Pro) and a wider field of view, the Odyssey is positioned as the premium Windows VR headset. Unfortunately the Odyssey appears to still not be available in Europe.

The reasoning surrounding the ongoing discounts seen on Amazon US isn’t clear, nor is it apparent if they are permanent, or how long they might last if they aren’t. Despite Amazon’s steep discounts, retailers like Best Buy are still listing the headsets at or near their MSRP.

When the Windows VR headsets were first announced all the way back in 2016, their ~$350 price point was mighty compelling against the then quite pricey Rift ($600) and Vive ($800). But by the time the Windows VR headsets actually made it out the door in late 2017, those incumbents had seen their own major price cuts—now with the Rift at $400 and the Vive at $500—giving the Windows VR headsets much less of an edge of price. But with the discounts available on Windows VR headsets today, they represent a rather attractive value option for new users hoping to jump into VR.