The consumer version of HTC's virtual reality platform Vive will cost $799 when it goes on general availability in early April, the company announced at Mobile World Congress.
Customers who purchase the full package when pre-orders open on February 29 will receive a head-mounted display, two controllers, two base stations, a Vive link box and Vive ear buds. It will ship in 24 countries, including the UK, Germany and France.
HTC recommended PCs with an Nvidia 970, AMD 290 GPU or mid-range i5 to run the sophisticated system.
The headset now sports a refined head strap and two gaskets to accommodate a wider range of people's face shapes.
One new feature is the ability to answer incoming phone calls and check text messages while wearing Vive via an integrated microphone.
The base stations do not need to be tethered to a PC or mounted at a specific angle, the company confirmed.
The price tag is higher than Oculus Rift's, which will retail for £499 when it goes on sale in the UK next month. Oculus founder Palmer Luckey apologised for the hefty price tag, following general dissatisfaction amongst fans, but insisted it was still incredibly good value.
The Taiwanese company chose not to reveal details of its forthcoming flagship handset the HTC One M10, which is rumoured to be launching at a separate event in London during April.
HTC is hoping to make waves in the virtual reality sector when its VR platform HTC Vive Pre opens for pre-orders on February 29 before its wider commercial sale in April. Its price remains unknown.
“Virtual reality is something people have talked about for 20, 30 years, in movies, in books and finally it is real,” Cher Wang, chief executive of HTC told the Telegraph last month. “VR has been on our minds for a long time, and now HTC has made virtual reality real.
“Yes, smartphones are important, but to create a natural extension to other connected devices like wearables and virtual reality is more important," she added.
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