HTC Vive Pre-Orders Sell Out Ahead Of May’s UK Launch

HTC claims pre-orders for its Vive virtual reality headset have sold out. According to executive Shen Ye, 15,000 headsets were sold in the first ten minutes of going on sale.

The Vive will go on general sale in the UK but units will not start shipping until May 2016.

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Costing £689 plus postage in the UK, the HTC Vive has been developed with gaming studio Valve.

The device comes with two wireless VR controllers, room scale movement sensors, and a Head Mounted Display (HMD) featuring a built in camera and phone services, plus three VR “experiences” including an app developed by Google that lets users paint in 3D space.

As well as this, users will also be able to receive and respond to both incoming and missed phone calls using HTC’s Vive Phone Services – which also allows users to get text messages and send quick replies and check upcoming calendar invites directly through the headset.

HTC is just one of a number of companies hoping to crack the fledgling VR market. Earlier this week, Microsoft released pricing information for its HoloLens device, which is now available for developers to purchase for testing and creating their own apps at $3,000.

At last week’s Mobile World Congress (MWC), major firms including LG and Samsung were among those showcasing VR headsets, while the technology has received support from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who wants ‘millions’ of VR devices handed out by the end of the year.

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