An HTC executive comments that the Vive is going to be a slightly more expensive starting device than the competition, although he understands that the price will have to go down later to reach more consumers.
This is commented by the executive director of product marketing of HTC Connected, Jeff Gattis, who assures that “since it is a premium experience, even if the price is slightly higher, that is correct from a strategic point of view”. Although he acknowledges that “The price will go down when market demand increases. We are aware that there is a large pent-up demand, so there will not be much price sensitivity at the outset. But for the great adoption at the consumer level that we all expect to happen, the industry will have to lower the price to make it more accessible. Whether we do it with Vive or with other devices, we are aware of the importance of lowering the price to achieve that greater penetration.”
We understand that by “a slightly higher price” he means what will be his competition, Oculus Rift, which has repeatedly stated that its goal for the CV1 is a final price of between $ 200 and $ 400, even going so far as to recognize that his intention was to sell it at cost price. The truth is that no one expected a price similar to the Oculus Rift, given that he Lives includes two wireless controllers and two emitters Lighthouse to place in our room, in front of a CV1 that, unless things change, will only include a small camera based on the DK2.