Sure, everything will be all fun and games next week at E3, but right now HTC’s talking business. The company’s well-received Vive headset is getting its very own “Business Edition,” the Vive BE, which is targeted at companies interested in harnessing virtual reality for commercial purposes.
The hardware, it should be mentioned right off the top, is pretty much the same as the standard Vive you can pick up now for $799. That includes the headset, two controllers, two base stations and four face cushions (important). This Vive, however, is $1,200. So, why the $400 price gulf?
The main differentiator is, “additional services adapted for business and commercial environments,” including a Business Edition customer support line and a 12-month warranty (“certain exclusions and limitations apply”). Also, businesses will able to buy a lot more of the $1,200 systems, all at the same time.
The company’s VP of VR says the new addition addresses “overwhelming demand from global industries for a complete VR experience.” The Business Edition launches this month in the US, Canada, UK, Germany and France, will a full global rollout coming soon.