HTC Vive anniversary sale cuts price by $100

HTC is marking the one-year anniversary of its Vive virtual reality headset this week with a sale, dropping the price of the device by $100.

The Vive headset regularly costs $799, but on April 5 — the exact date of the anniversary, which HTC is calling “Vive Day” — new customers will be able to buy the device for $699. Unlike the Oculus Rift headset, which now costs $499 on its own, the Vive comes with two wireless motion controllers. (Even with the one-day discount, the Vive is still more expensive than a Rift with the Oculus Touch controllers; that package costs $598.)

HTC is also offering something for all Vive owners on Vive Day: a free copy of Arcade Saga, a collection of three action games that are meant to showcase the capabilities of VR. Arcade Saga regularly costs $19.99; the deal will be available only on Viveport, HTC’s own storefront for the Vive.

Viveport is getting something as well. On April 5, HTC will launch the Viveport Subscription, a new way for customers to sample VR software. For $6.99 a month, Vive owners will be able to select five titles from “an ever-growing library of curated content,” said HTC in a news release.

“The rapid growth of the app market is a win for VR overall yet it can present discoverability challenges that affect both customers and content creators,” said Rikard Steiber, president of Viveport at HTC. “Introducing a subscription model to VR is a natural evolution of where this market is going.”

The initial lineup for Viveport Subscription includes more than 50 VR games and apps, such as Fantastic Contraption and Everest VR. Customers can keep playing the same five titles forever, or rotate out their selection every month. HTC is launching Viveport Subscription with a one-month free trial.