HTC Launches $1,500 Vive Pro Bundle In Japan, Teases Commercial ‘Advantage Pack’ (Update: Now Available In North America For $1,399)

Updated, 04/33/2018, 9:50pm PT:

The Vive Pro bundle is now available in North America, too, and it's a little bit cheaper here than in Japan. American customers can now order the package for $1,399. HTC also revealed further details about the Vive Advantage commercial licensing package. The company announced the Vive Enterprise Advantage and Advantage+, which includes dedicated email and chat support, expedited hardware replacement, and two years of coverage on the HMD's "qualifying accessories." 

“Enterprise VR is transforming the way businesses operate and interact with their employees and customers. We are bringing the market a premium VR experience with a high-resolution display, integrated audio and the best components available today in a headset,” said Daniel O’Brien, GM U.S., Vive in a prepared statement for the press release. “Vive Pro offers an immediate upgrade for businesses that want to utilize the most innovative technology to optimize their business and streamline their processes.”

Original article:

HTC Nippon Corporation (HTC Japan) today announced the price and availability of the Vive Pro bundle, which includes the recently released Vive Pro HMD and updated peripherals. The package offers two updated Vive motion controllers with Triad Semiconductor TS3633 sensors, and two SteamVR 2.0 base stations.

The new base stations support a wider field of view than the original model and track slightly larger volumes. The original Vive supports up to 15' by 15' of trackable space. A pair of the new base stations cover up to 19.6 x 19.6', but you can add another two base stations for a maximum of 32.8 x 32.8'. HTC Japan isn’t yet selling additional base stations, and the company didn’t say how much the base stations would cost.

The motion controllers that come with the Vive Pro bundle are just updated Vive wands with new sensors, not the coveted Valve Knuckles controllers. We still don’t have any information about Valve’s Knuckles release schedule.

HTC said that the Vive Pro would be available from the regional online store and Japanese domestic resellers on April 23 at “10 o’clock.” The company also revealed that it would soon offer a Vive Pro Advantage Pack, which would include a warranty contract for commercial use and corporate support.

Sticker Shock

If you think the Vive Pro upgrade is expensive, wait until you get a load of this. HTC is asking 162,880 Japanese yen for the package, which translates to just over $1,500. The sky-high price is sure to ruffle a few feathers, especially after the reaction to the $800 HMD-only upgrade. However, before you get mad about the price tag, consider that the Vive Pro bundle package isn’t meant for consumers.

The updated base stations offer larger tracking volumes, but do you really need a larger tracked space? Most people don’t have enough free room in their home to maximize the original base stations. SteamVR Tracking 2.0 is primarily for commercial entities at this stage. We can’t think of any reason for a home user to need the updated base stations until Valve enables multi-room tracking. (And that may never happen, because it would require an over-the-air wireless system that doesn’t rely on line-of-sight.) Home users would be better off purchasing a Vive Pro with Steam VR 1.0 accessory bundle.

HTC hasn’t yet announced the North American availability or pricing of the Vive Pro bundle or Advantage Pack. We’ve reached out to HTC for comment, but we don’t expect much more from HTC’s representatives other than confirmation of the Japanese launch.