HTC Vive Headset Pre-Order to Start in February 2016, Says Company

Earlier this week, HTC had finally announced a release date for the HTC Vive virtual reality headset, which was first unveiled at MWC 2015. HTC has now confirmed in a blog post that the Vive pre-orders will start in February, followed by commercial availability in April.

The Vive, made in partnership between Valve and HTC, is one of the few serious comeptitors to the Oculus Rift, and our first experience with the headset really blew us away.

A second update on Thursday confirmed that the Vive will be launching next year; HTC also noted that apart from the units that have already been distributed, an additional 7,000 developer kits are being distributed in early 2016, and it promises that by the time the consumer headsets are on sale, a large library of virtual content will be available.

In the new update, HTC also talks about the content that will power virtual reality, beyond games and entertainment.

Regarding the depth and breadth of content that can be expected, we are looking at a wide variety of different VR content, from games to experiences, and beyond. We are working to ensure every piece of content put out will provide the incredible experience made possible through the room-scale technology of the HTC Vive, and we're striving for perfection.

We are proud to have recently co-hosted a symposium with Professor Neil Martin, Chair of the Neurosurgery Department at UCLA, who is widely recognized as one of the best neurosurgeons in the world. Along with several attending medical professionals, he emphasized how HTC Vive can transform the training of future medical students, especially in the area of dissection, by helping to reduce the dependency on cadavers for dissection, which is currently estimated at 30-40 per med student). Vive simulates real life situations and medical crises, providing better training for students and improving patient outcomes. Attendees who experienced the Vive at this event were very inspired and felt that the virtual reality experience HTC delivered far exceeded their expectations.

The Vive Unbound show that is taking place in Beijing on December 18 will have more details, and should give us all a better idea about Vive's retail price.