Get your HTC Vive in just a few short days, with HTC's new shipping schedule

By Jon Martindale June 7, 2016

htc vive now shipping 72 hours box set unbox 2 — Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

Though the launch of both Oculus VR and HTC/Valve’s VR headsets was exciting, it was marred by a number of issues – most notably delays in shipping. Until just recently, getting hold of either headset would mean weeks or even months of waiting. But no longer. HTC has announced that buying a Vive direct from its store will see it shipped out within 72 hours.

Although there are certainly arguments to be made about more Oculus Rifts being pre-ordered than HTC Vives (at least initially) it seems that now HTC’s manufacturing experience is coming to bear.

This two to three day shipping period that HTC is quoting is available in 24 countries around the world, making it easier than ever to get a hold of a consumer-grade VR headset. To help encourage its uptake, HTC has also expanded demo locations around the world, offering them in Microsoft Stores, Gamestops and Micro Centers.

Those locations will also begin carrying dedicated stock of their own shortly, with pre-orders from those locations starting to ship out this week.

“Since beginning pre-orders at the end of February and shipping in early April, we’ve seen incredible interest in Vive,” said Dan O’Brien, VP of VR at HTC, who we previously interviewed on the status of Oculus exclusives.

“Working with our retail partners has only enhanced that momentum because more people are able to try the only truly immersive virtual reality offering on the market today.”

Don’t expect this increased shipping to do much for the price, which still sits at $800 + shipping in the U.S.. It does however come with the headset, Lighthouse tracking stations, and the pair of motion controllers which make gesture interaction and room-scale VR possible.

Those were enough for us to hail it as the best VR hardware out there right now. Although it is still a technology for early adopters, and those with enough space to really appreciate it, there are now over 200 experiences and games to play around with, so there is plenty of content to try.

Do you own a Vive? If so, what’s your favorite experience so far?

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Computing Coordinator

Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…

Computing

HTC Vive Cosmos Elite hands-on review: External tracking returns

vive cosmos elite

Setting up sensors in your living room to use VR isn't fun. It takes time, requires a lot of space, and is a hassle to transport. In the era of inside-out tracking on headsets like the Vive Cosmos and Oculus Quest, external tracking feels like a technology ready to be phased out.

HTC has announced a new external tracking option with the Vive Cosmos Elite. It's a faceplate attachment that brings external tracking to the Cosmos. The $899 bundle includes SteamVR base stations and two controllers, and is priced as a successor to the Vive Pro.

Computing

With new swappable faceplates, the Vive Cosmos is now a modular VR platform

HTC Vive Cosmos

After having debuted the HTC Cosmos late last year with an innovative flip-up display to switch between the virtual and real worlds, HTC is expanding its Vive Cosmos series in a surprising new way. Faceplates with different features that can be upgraded to or purchased with the Cosmos.

The star of the show remains the different experiences you gain when adding HTC's unique and modular faceplates. This allows users to grow with their Vive Cosmos investment by being able swap faceplates to gain new functionality in the future.

Computing

I fell out of love with VR, but the Vive Wireless rekindled the flame

Fallen out of love with VR? These HTC Vive accessories might change that

HTC Vive Wireless

Forgive me virtual reality fans, for I have sinned. It has been eight months since my last VR session. My faith in it as the future of gaming and connected entertainment has wavered. I've lost interest. I can't be bothered. My HTC Vive has languished on the floor under my desk, gathering dust and I barely noticed. Perhaps it's time that changed.
But what can a lapsed VR fanboy do to excite himself about virtual reality once again? I could buy a new headset. There are some exciting new options in the form of the Oculus Rift S and Quest, the HTC Vive Cosmos, and Valve's high-end Index.
But those are expensive, all-or-nothing options that do a disservice to the Vive I already own. It's hard to justify buying a whole new headset and any necessary sensors and controllers when I don't use the ones I have. Perhaps instead, some VR accessories and upgrades for my existing Vive could do the trick.
With that idea in mind, I reached out to HTC and was furnished with a number of intriguing options for a better HTC Vive experience. Can a few new toys and games kick-start my interest in virtual worlds ones again?

Falling out of love with VR
If you look back at my coverage of VR in the lead up to, and shortly after, the launch of the original HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, I was incensed. Excited. I was a true VR evangelist, sure that it would become a dominant new medium of entertainment enjoyed by gamers young and old within a year or two.
Having owned an Oculus Rift DK1 and DK2, and eventually the consumer release Vive and a Rift (I later sold the Oculus headsets), the progression I saw in just a few years was enormous. From static, seated experiences with no positional tracking, to motion controllers and roomscale experiences. I went from nausea-inducing, blocky roller-coaster rides to AAA experiences like Alien: Isolation and polished mini-game extravaganzas like Valve's The Lab.