With the Oculus Rift anniversary sale soon coming to an end, it’s now time for the HTC Vive—which launched just a week after the Rift—to get in on the celebration. The April 5th anniversary of the Vive launch, which HTC is calling “Vive Day,” has brought a $100 discount on the Vive headset, a free piece of content, and the launch of the company’s Viveport Subscription service.
Update (4/4/17, 10:57PM PT): The Vive Anniversary festivities have begun. We updated this article to clarify which stores are participating in the $100 discount, and note that the deal includes a smaller content bundle that before.
The April 5th, 2016 Vive launch brought roomscale virtual reality into our livingrooms. In just a year, the content available to the headset has grown tremendously. Meanwhile, HTC is launching new accessories like the Vive Tracker and Deluxe Audio Strap, has recently begun offering a financing plan to help people afford the $800 system, and has been fleshing out their own VR content storefront, Viveport. To celebrate the headset’s launch and all that’s happened, HTC has a few things going on today:
$100 Discount
Today, April 5th, the anniversary of the headset’s launch, HTC is offering a one-day only $100 discount on the Vive system, bringing the starting price to $700. It may not match the new lower $600 price point of the Rift + Touch, but it’s the best deal we’ve seen on the headset since holiday sales. Included in that price, you’ll also take home the current Vive game bundle which includes The Gallery – Episode 1: Call of the Starseed (2016), Zombie Training Simulator (2016), Richie’s Plank Experience (2016), and Everest VR (2016).
So far we’ve spotted the following stores honoring the $100 discount:
Free Game – Arcade Saga
New and current Vive owners alike can redeem a free copy of Arcade Saga (2016), the first game created by HTC’s in-house VR studio, 2Bears Studios. The game features online multiplayer and a campaign mode with 84 levels across three gametypes: Smash, Bowshot, and Fracture. It seems the free copy of Arcade Saga (normally $20) is only available today, so be sure to redeem it at Viveport.com or the Viveport desktop app before it’s gone.
Viveport Subscription Launch with 1 Month Trial
Today also sees the launch of HTC’s Viveport Subscription service. This is a $7/month service which grants users full access to their choice of five VR games (from the service’s selected catalog) each month. Each month you’ll be able to rotate your five games for access to new ones. You can also buy any of the Viveport Subscription apps outright, if you decide you want permanent access. HTC is offering a one month trial to Viveport Subscription, which you can sign up for here.
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HTC also says that they’ll be posting developer interviews and more on the official Vive Blog, including a tease of “free downloads to mark the anniversary,” though it isn’t clear if that means more free content for all, a small number of key giveaways, or possibly different “downloads” all together.
