This means the final price is €960.20 which is close enough to the $1000 we suggested as a price in May 2015. With the current exchange rate, Vive glasses end up at $1045 for us. Steam is offering the Vive because the project was a cooperation between HTC and Valve, the outfit behind Steam. 

US based customers will end up paying more than US $799 with the tax. Those in California have close to 10 percent of sales tax. HTC charges additional $30 for shipping meaning Californians pay around $910 for the VR kit.

We did warn you when our well-informed industry sources came up with a $1000 price. Things have not really changed since and the company ended up shipping close to that mark.

Oculus on the other hand, sells its Oculus Rift glasses for $599 + shipping and tax. Even with shipping and 10 percent average tax in California, you should not end up paying more than $699. The Facebook-owned Oculus will not give you the controller or the two laser Vive base stations that the Rift need so perhaps these prices are not that far off. We have heard better comments about Vive than about the Oculus and when we tried both, Vive simply did a better job.

Every first generation of every technology is going to be a bit rubbish and expensive. Things will get rapidly better so buying now is pretty brave. This is the first generation, we don’t think it is affordable but we can imagine that there will be some people who are willing to spend the money.

HTC Vive will ship in May if you order now, while Oculus promises to ship them by July if you order today.