HTC VIVE PRO in Pre-Order

I have the Vive..... Based on Price.... this is a Simple decision.


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That price is asinine for what seems to be a moderate upgrade at best. The existing VIVE hardware has been out for several years now - 3 years perhaps? It should be getting cheaper for the whole package; even cheaper than it is after all this time. This is one reason I'm worried about those who say "well, they'll drop the price soon" - the original VIVE dropped its price slowly and not very much; Oculus did better in that regard (and I hate to compliment Oculus on anything out of principle). VIVE Pro was finally a hardware upgrade and that's nice, but it isn't like the whole thing is even 4K resolution much less 4K per eye. It has built in audio upgrades that is basically the "HD Audio Strap" or whatever it is called and they advertise wireless use as a major feature however that is a "coming later" module that requires even more cash to upgrade into. Furthermore, they don't seem to have any upgrades to base stations or perhaps most importantly - controllers! Where are the next gen "knuckles" or better yet "gloves"?

So now they finally make the VIVE Pro available for pre order quite awhile after its announcement...and doing so they're asking $800 for JUST the HMD itself? As I said before no upgraded base stations, controllers, or the wireless module, nor their prices revealed. Last I recall they announced that stuff would arrive sometime later in the year and that's kind of crazy waiting for a 2H launch of the whole package or the 2.0 accessories. in and of itself unless there is some mind-blowing advances in the works. Even that said, the price seems totally off kilter. As I ssaid before the original VIVE is a few years old now and should be cheaper. I could consider it reasonable if the new VIVE Pro model was $800 for the WHOLE KIT (even if the other items shipped later), much like the original VIVE when it was new. That's at least typical industry "Old thing gets cheaper, newest thing moved to top price point" tech gadget protocol. However to move just the headset alone to $800 is disgusting, especially if they are spewing forth more churlish bile about pushing forward access to VR and all that.

I expect better of HTC and hope they get slammed by the tech media for the outrageous pricing.

Edit: I should mention I was really waiting to buy the VIVE Pro. I skipped the original VIVE but want to support open VR / SteamVR and figured the Pro would be worthwhile to get in. The lack of a whole package/platform means that even if I wanted to pay the outrageous $800 for the heatset, since I don't have the original VIVE it would cost a bloody fortune just to get the accessories. It seems each base station/lighthouse is like $130 and each controller is like $125 - and you need 2 of each to replicate the standard VIVE pack-in experience! At that, its almost cheaper to buy a regular VIVE package entirely just to get the accessories!?

Surely if they intend to push this catastrophe of $800 on the VIVE Pro itself, they would have a discounted (severely) package on old original VIVE controllers/base stations wouldn't they? Doesn't make any sense not to - you're basically turning away newcomers, even those willing to pay the higher headset price for VIVE Pro!
 
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Well I would at least wait for Kyle to check it out. If it has superior lenses, great depth of colors, lighter and anything else that makes the price reasonable I would consider getting one. To pre-order at that price just seems foolish unless one has the $ that it does not matter too much.
 
Seems likely to me they realized they can charge a bunch at first because there are a lot of price insensitive buyers out there: rich enthusiasts and developers that just get the company to pay for it. It can't be the price of the compents since the same screens are used in cheaper HMDs, another camera is cheap and the new tracking hardware is supposed to be cheaper than the old version.

Still interested in how it compares to the VIVE 1.0, glad Kyle is getting one to put to the test. :)
 
I think they warned people when they kept stating the price would be in the prosumer range and in part I think they want people that are a less price sensitive. Why? Because price sensitive people are probably less likely to have top of the line 1080ti's or other high end hardware that's going to make their product perform better. If you've been waiting to get into VR because you expected it to get better AND cheaper, and some how expected that to be a Vive pro, I'm wagering your hardware might not be ready to push an additional 76% more pixels. Yes there are probably exceptions but as a rule I bet that holds true.

I have a 1080ti FE and I wonder how it's going to perform. But I have to believe that it should be fine, as what other alternative is there, a Titan V?

Alternatively if you had been waiting for the Vive Pro and are put off by the cost, feel free to go buy the Samsung Odyssey / Pimax. Or even a $350 Oculus.
 
After receiving no shipping details from HTC, I placed an order thru Amazon Tuesday. Day of now, the 5th, still no shipping from either HTC or Amazon, so checked my local Microcenter and they had 6 in stock. Reserved one and was available for pick up right away, so it's sitting in my trunk and gotta get thru this work day to try it out, taking tomorrow off. Pretty excited!
 
Accursed said:
After receiving no shipping details from HTC, I placed an order thru Amazon Tuesday. Day of now, the 5th, still no shipping from either HTC or Amazon, so checked my local Microcenter and they had 6 in stock. Reserved one and was available for pick up right away, so it's sitting in my trunk and gotta get thru this work day to try it out, taking tomorrow off. Pretty excited!
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Congrats! I pre-ordered from Amazon two weeks ago and so for nothing about shipping out. Unfortunately no place local to buy for me.

Will love to hear what you think. Most of the reviews seem to like it but have dinged it hard on price.
 
oldmanbal said:
How much has the inflated GPU market affected VR adoption? The entry level for a decent VR rig seems to have gone up a few hundred dollars at least, which is usually enough of a barrier to prevent any type of momentum. Compare it to consoles where just $100 can make or break a consoles entire life cycle.
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Well, before the GPU prices went stupid, I was looking into VR, but not now. I know several people in the same boat.
 
BSmith said:
Well, before the GPU prices went stupid, I was looking into VR, but not now. I know several people in the same boat.
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Yeah that's pretty much what everyone I know is saying. People mostly just need to upgrade the gpu in their rigs for competent vr but the entry price for a full vr kit and gpu is just too much for a novelty. We're pretty much paying developer prices for this tech still. They need to get the headset/controllers/tracking/mounts/ect all in around $500 for this to ever take off.
 
Xaeos said:
That price is asinine for what seems to be a moderate upgrade at best. The existing VIVE hardware has been out for several years now - 3 years perhaps? It should be getting cheaper for the whole package; even cheaper than it is after all this time. This is one reason I'm worried about those who say "well, they'll drop the price soon" - the original VIVE dropped its price slowly and not very much; Oculus did better in that regard (and I hate to compliment Oculus on anything out of principle). VIVE Pro was finally a hardware upgrade and that's nice, but it isn't like the whole thing is even 4K resolution much less 4K per eye. It has built in audio upgrades that is basically the "HD Audio Strap" or whatever it is called and they advertise wireless use as a major feature however that is a "coming later" module that requires even more cash to upgrade into. Furthermore, they don't seem to have any upgrades to base stations or perhaps most importantly - controllers! Where are the next gen "knuckles" or better yet "gloves"?

So now they finally make the VIVE Pro available for pre order quite awhile after its announcement...and doing so they're asking $800 for JUST the HMD itself? As I said before no upgraded base stations, controllers, or the wireless module, nor their prices revealed. Last I recall they announced that stuff would arrive sometime later in the year and that's kind of crazy waiting for a 2H launch of the whole package or the 2.0 accessories. in and of itself unless there is some mind-blowing advances in the works. Even that said, the price seems totally off kilter. As I ssaid before the original VIVE is a few years old now and should be cheaper. I could consider it reasonable if the new VIVE Pro model was $800 for the WHOLE KIT (even if the other items shipped later), much like the original VIVE when it was new. That's at least typical industry "Old thing gets cheaper, newest thing moved to top price point" tech gadget protocol. However to move just the headset alone to $800 is disgusting, especially if they are spewing forth more churlish bile about pushing forward access to VR and all that.

I expect better of HTC and hope they get slammed by the tech media for the outrageous pricing.

Edit: I should mention I was really waiting to buy the VIVE Pro. I skipped the original VIVE but want to support open VR / SteamVR and figured the Pro would be worthwhile to get in. The lack of a whole package/platform means that even if I wanted to pay the outrageous $800 for the heatset, since I don't have the original VIVE it would cost a bloody fortune just to get the accessories. It seems each base station/lighthouse is like $130 and each controller is like $125 - and you need 2 of each to replicate the standard VIVE pack-in experience! At that, its almost cheaper to buy a regular VIVE package entirely just to get the accessories!?

Surely if they intend to push this catastrophe of $800 on the VIVE Pro itself, they would have a discounted (severely) package on old original VIVE controllers/base stations wouldn't they? Doesn't make any sense not to - you're basically turning away newcomers, even those willing to pay the higher headset price for VIVE Pro!
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HTC, Unlike Facebook/Occulus Rift, are a for-profit business. They are not in this market to get the world into VR, they are trying to sell a product at a certain profit margin. Occulus however can afford to pretty much just give away a million units and still crush ass. It really sucks that HTC has taken the lead, but Facebook must have realized that High End VR is a dead end financially, and has already moved on to a more mainstream appeal. I just wish HTC had improved the specs on their screen a lot more than this 'moderate' upgrade. Visually, for text it makes a huge difference, but its not game changing by any means.

If HTC sold their new units for $299 they would sell a metric shit ton of them.
 
oldmanbal said:
They need to get the headset/controllers/tracking/mounts/ect all in around $500 for this to ever take off.
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That's already existed for more than a year. You can get a Rift for $399 with everything, $299 used; a Vive with everything for $499 new or $399 used. Vive Pro is just an enthusiast part. But no matter what they priced it at the bitching would be exactly the same, from the same people - many of whom have no actual interest in it anyway.

The thing is that these have to continue to iterate, there have to be in-between steps to get to the magical "4K per eye + wireless" and every greasy, cheeto-stained eight year old has one on in their living room before tossing it on the floor without a care. And so it'll continue to be driven by enthusiasts and early adopter pricing.
 
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heatlesssun said:
Congrats! I pre-ordered from Amazon two weeks ago and so for nothing about shipping out. Unfortunately no place local to buy for me.

Will love to hear what you think. Most of the reviews seem to like it but have dinged it hard on price.
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Welp, it's clearly better. As soon as you put it on it's a obvious improvement. It is more comfortable, even more so than the deluxe audio strap. Altho I think I like the audio and quality of the Delux Audio strap better. The single tether line is lighter and much easier to deal with. And of course the visual quality is great, a lot less screen door and for me the peripheral vision is much better, but not perfect., but I do get some weird peripheral interference I can't figure out that I don't remember getting on the plain Vive. The nose area blocks out light much better also.

So with the regular Vive now down to $500, and the full pro kit at $1,100, is the upgrade worth $600? For most probably not. But if you want the BEST VR currently available it's easily the best on the market. Bleeding edge at it's finest. Moves tech closer to hopefully one day having something that can emulate real life.
 
Having thought about this since release, for a half step the price is just too steep. I know its been hashed out thoroughly, but I appreciate Vive pushing the specs forward. At the $800 price point for just the headset it should have been Vive 2, not Vive Pro.
 
Accursed said:
Welp, it's clearly better. As soon as you put it on it's a obvious improvement. It is more comfortable, even more so than the deluxe audio strap. Altho I think I like the audio and quality of the Delux Audio strap better. The single tether line is lighter and much easier to deal with. And of course the visual quality is great, a lot less screen door and for me the peripheral vision is much better, but not perfect., but I do get some weird peripheral interference I can't figure out that I don't remember getting on the plain Vive. The nose area blocks out light much better also.

So with the regular Vive now down to $500, and the full pro kit at $1,100, is the upgrade worth $600? For most probably not. But if you want the BEST VR currently available it's easily the best on the market. Bleeding edge at it's finest. Moves tech closer to hopefully one day having something that can emulate real life.
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Thanks for your thoughts. Seems like you're pretty much in line with all of the reviews I've read. It's the best VR experience currently on the market but maybe not worth the asking price compared to the alternatives.

Still nothing from Amazon on mine yet. Guess HTC sold whatever they had on hand pretty quickly.
 
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heatlesssun said:
Still nothing from Amazon on mine yet. Guess HTC sold whatever they had on hand pretty quickly.
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Sorry to hear about that, hopefully soon they'll ship it. Probably a lot of them sitting on shelves at brick and mortar places if there's any around you (Fry's, Best buy, etc). Good luck!
 
Accursed said:
Sorry to hear about that, hopefully soon they'll ship it. Probably a lot of them sitting on shelves at brick and mortar places if there's any around you (Fry's, Best buy, etc). Good luck!
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Unfortunately there's nothing local close by. Just checked Amazon, backordered for 4 to 6 weeks. Arrrgg.
 
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