Valve's VR Headset Will Cost More Than Other Headsets, Former Epic Execs Disagree On Potential Of VR

VR enthusiasts have a difficult decision to make based on the positive responses to the big three VR headsets at the recently concluded Game Developers Conference. Sony’s PlayStation Morpheus, the Oculus Rift and Valve/HTC Vive appear to be the bannermen for the platform, promising premium experiences ahead of most other players. Recent reports indicate the HTC headset might come in at a higher price point than the other two.

Speaking to MCV, HTC marketing manager Jeff Gattis said the company’s plan was to create the best VR experience the world has ever seen. Gatis added that due to the pent-up demand for VR, there wasn’t so much price sensitivity among early adopters and noted that the Vive’s price would likely come down over time in order to gain broader adoption.

“Starting with the premium experience, even if it has a slightly higher price point, is the right thing to do from a strategic point of view. The price can always come down as the market grows,” he said.

As noted by GamesRadar, the HTC Vive performed well at GDC, with attendees praising its unique tracking solution in particular. In contrast to Project Morpheus and the Oculus Rift, which both use a single external camera to track movement in 3D space, the Vive uses a low-latency room-scale tracking solution created by Valve, called Lighthouse. Users responded positively to the highly accurate tracking, with Valve Co-founder and Managing director, Gabe Newell telling the New York Times that zero percent of people who use the headset suffer motion sickness.

Despite the positive reception to Project Morpheus, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive at GDC, not everyone is sold on the promise of VR. Speaking with Games Industry, former President of Epic Games, Mike Capps expressed his doubts about the future of technology. He noted that price could be an issue and pointed to the failure of 3D TV as a warning, saying that if gamers didn’t want to wear 3D glasses in their own homes, it was unlikely that they will be willing to wear a VR headset either.

Former design director at Epic Games, Cliff Bleszinski disagrees, stating on his official blog that VR offers multiple price-points for consumer entry. He likened three of the major headsets on the GDC show floor, the Samsung Gear VR, Project Morpheus and the HTC Vive to different levels of cinematic experience.

Samsung Gear VR was the lowest barrier to entry, similar to watching a movie on a plane, while Project Morpheus was more like watching a movie on a big-screen TV and Vive was akin to an IMAX experience. He believes this three-pronged strategy will serve VR well and aid in its adoption. The first major VR headset to be commercially available will be the Vive, which Valve and HTC plan to launch later this year.