HTC launched the Vive Accessories store at the end of June. At the time, all you could purchase were the face cushion, nose gasket, and the USB accessory cable. The important parts of the Vive, such as the controllers and base stations, weren’t available. Now they are.
HTC added base stations, motion controllers, link boxes and the proprietary 3-in-1 cables to the store. If you happen to be one of the unfortunate souls who’ve damaged their Vive, you now have a way to replace the damaged parts. Also, if you’ve been waiting to pick up a third controller for mixed reality videos, now you can – but it’s going to cost you a pretty penny.
The HTC Vive replacement parts are definitely not cheap. The link box, which doesn’t include a power adaptor, sells for $29.99. The 3-in-1 cable, which is arguably the most vulnerable component of the setup, will set you back $39.99. Those components are a downright bargain if you compare them to the controllers and base stations, though. Each individual controller sells for $129.99 and the base stations go for $134.99. At least the controllers and base stations come with the power adaptors.
Though there’s no definitive correlation, the price of the controllers could be an indication of what to expect from Oculus later this year. The Touch controllers will be an optional upgrade that will bring motion control to the Rift, but Oculus has been tight-lipped about the price. Touch will include two advanced controllers and an additional sensor. If HTC is setting the price of one controller at $129.99, it’s hard to imagine Oculus will be able to launch Touch for less than $200. At that price, the Rift and the Vive’s price points will be at parity, and it would be a big surprise if Touch comes in cheaper than that.
If you need replacement parts or an additional Vive controller, you can order them now from the Vive accessory store.
