HTC announced the new accessories, the Vive Tracker and Deluxe Audio Strap, back at CES 2017 earlier this year but didn’t provide pricing or release date info more specific than Q2. At $100 for each accessory, the pricing falls in line with expectations.
The Vive Tracker will cost $100 and become available for order for developers on March 27th. The Deluxe Audio Strap will also be priced at $100 and will begin pre-orders on May 2nd.
The Vive Tracker is a standalone tracking puck designed to attach to objects and accessories to turn them into VR peripherals. HTC committed to giving away 1,000 Vive Tracker units to developers to kickstart an ecosystem of peripherals and software that support the Tracker. For developers who didn’t get in on that initial batch (the company says they received 2,300 applications), the device will be available for order for $100 starting on March 27th through the official Vive website.
For general consumers however, the Vive Tracker won’t be available until later this year. That’s to give developers time to build devices and apps that work with the device, ahead of widespread availability, HTC says.
HTC plans to show new experiences using the Vive Tracker this week at GDC and MWC.
The Vive Deluxe Audio Strap, a more robust head-mount with integrated headphones, will also be priced at $100 and be available for pre-order (for everyone) on May 2nd with a launch in June.
HTC says that all new purchases of the $1,200 Vive ‘Business Edition’ headset will get a free upgrade to the Deluxe Audio Strap. The Vive Business Edition is the same as the consumer headset but features enterprise-focused ordering, warranty, and support.
Vive Financing
In a surprising move, HTC is also announcing a new Vive financing program aimed at getting the expensive hardware into user’s hands:
- In 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)
- In 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)
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Source: HTC Confirms Vive Tracker and Deluxe Audio Strap Prices and Pre-order Dates
