HTC’s Vive virtual reality headset finally has a launch date, with the company revealing that it will be released in April 2016.
While it is unlikely that the company will be debuting a limited run of the headsets before the end of 2015, a Facebook post at least revealed that they will be launching the head-mounted display in the first quarter of next year.
The post reads:
In an effort to clear up speculation and misinformation surrounding the launch of HTC Vive this month we are excited to give the community an update on the status of HTC Vive. We remain committed to delivering the HTC Vive to a broader group of content creators and partners, and remain focused on delivering the very best experience possible for a consumer release.
“Since announcing the HTC Vive in March of this year we have focused on developing immersive content, refining both hardware design and user experience, and building relationships with new partners both inside and outside of the gaming industry. In collaboration with Valve, we have been distributing the HTC Vive Developer Kits to developers and content creators, and are continuing to work with many other innovative companies to create content that spans gaming, entertainment, medical, education and retail. This includes hosting a developer conference in Beijing on December 18th, launching the second generation of the HTC Vive Developer Kit at CES and engaging audiences at key events including The Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, GDC and MWC while expanding our demo tours.
We will be starting the new year by making an additional 7,000 units available to developers, followed by commercial availability in April 2016. We are incredibly excited about the future and look forward to sharing more information as we move forward towards launch.
The Vive will be one of the early examples of the future of the technology offered to consumers, alongside the likes of the Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift.
No other details have been given in regards to the headset, including how many units of the product will ship at launch, and many HTC followers are cluttering the post in regards to the delay in HTC telling them that the launch of the headset has been pushed back by a few months.