The Best Place to Buy HTC Vive
VR is changing the way we play videogames. It’s a cliché but strapping that headset over your eyes really does put you into the virtual space to live out your nerdiest fantasies. Ready Player One here we come. But with so many options out there, from cardboard to PC-eating headsets, where do you start? And where is the best place to get on to this expensive, but exciting band wagon? Well, to help with all that over the next few months I’ll be looking at the most prevalent VR headsets (PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive) and which retailers are giving gamers the best deals to help make the future of gaming a reality today. [Full disclosure, I work at CEX]
So without further ado, let’s look at the best way to buy the final VR headset on our list: The HTC Vive.
The HTC Vive is basically Steam’s answer to the VR arms race being developed by HTC and Valve Corporation. Much like the Oculus, the Vive will also require you to have a monster of a PC to power a quality virtual experience. The system was officially unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in 2015. The same year at the Game Developers Conference, Valve announced SteamVR which would become the backbone application for the Vive. This program would allow you to launch your VR games from the 3D interactive menu.
The HTC Vive was finally released in 2016 and on its release had 107 games that were being developed for the new dimension of gaming. Among the highlights of the Vive’s library are the hilarious Job Simulator and the ironically super cool shooter Super Hot. The HTC Vive currently has two models on the market. The original is simply the headset with the controllers (alien looking machines, one for each hand, that utilises motion control, a touch pad, and button interface), and with all the sensors and wires needed to connect you into the various virtual worlds. Released later was a deluxe audio strap that retroactively added integrated headphones to the headset. The second model on the market is the Pro version. The Pro is basically the bigger, better, and improved version of the original. Boasting better quality VR as well as coming out of the box with the integrated audio, the Pro took all the improvements learned since the Vive’s launch and crammed them into the new and shiny model.
But whether you are going for the latest in Vive technology or want to see where the tech started, there are so many places to buy the kit from and it’s hard to know who is the best retailer to go with. In light of that dilemma, maybe the list below can help clear some of that confusion.
CEX
CEX is a second hand shop that sells everything from cameras and consoles to games and DVDs. While the unit you will be buying from them has been used before, every piece of tech that goes through those doors is tested before sale and comes with a two year warranty. The two year warranty doesn’t cover accidental damage (if you drop the headset), water damage (if you drop the headset in your full bath), and tampering (if after dropping your headset in your full bath you open it up yourself to try and dry out the still sparking parts). What it does cover is if anything in the system becomes faulty and is not your fault. If this happens, you will be able to bring your headset back to any CEX and either get it fixed or replaced. Hardware from CEX comes in three categories depending on their quality: ‘A’ is a mint condition unit that comes with the box, ‘B’ may have a couple of scratches on the unit and does not come with the box, and ‘C’ will have quite a lot of physical scratches. These ratings do not grade how the actual systems work and only help give you an idea of their physical appearance.
- HTC Vive VR System
A = £400, B = £360, C = £340
- Controller
A = £82, B = £72, C = N/A
- Deluxe Audio Strap
A = £80, B = £75, C = N/A
- HTC Vive VR Pro Full Kit
A = £1,200, B = £1,100, C = N/A
GAME
GAME is a retail chain that’s primary focus is on, yep, games. They sell hardware and software alike and are the biggest UK high street name for this industry. GAME’s warranty policy allows you to return an item if unwanted within 30 days and on top of that you are covered for 12 months if there is a fault with the system. On their website, a fault is labelled as a “manufacturer fault” and so follows the same guidelines as the warranty offered at CEX. If a fault is found after the first 30 days, you cannot gain a refund, but can still get your unit replaced or repaired.
- HTC Vive VR System = £499
- Controller = £129.99
- Deluxe Audio Strap = £104.99
- HTC Vive VR Pro Full Kit = N/A
eBay
eBay is the online marketplace that popularised the method of sitting on your sofa and waiting for your product to come to you. It is also the service that allowed you to sell your unwanted Christmas socks from the comfort of your own home too. Because there are so many listings on the website from a plethora of sources, here I am going to detail an average price for a ‘New’ and ‘Used’ condition unit and detail what comes with each one and then the price for any extras you may need to purchase. eBay’s warranty system is a bit looser than the two shops listed above, but on average if you have a problem with what you have bought you are able to send it back to the seller and get a full refund. If you have any problems with getting said refund, the eBay team is a helpful bunch and personally have stepped in to help me get my money back with speed and great customer service. However, depending on the seller you may have to fork out for the postage back to them (which could be a deep pain to your wallet for a VR sized box to travel across the country or world).
New
- HTC Vive VR System = £499 + Free Delivery
- Controller = £126.13 + £9.50 Postage
- Deluxe Audio Strap = £116.64 + Free Postage
- HTC Vive VR Pro Full Kit = £1,725.49 + Free Postage
Used
- HTC Vive VR System = £399.99 + £19.50 Postage
- Controller = £51.50 + £13.12 Postage
- Deluxe Audio Strap = N/A
- HTC Vive VR Pro Full Kit = N/A
Amazon
The website that took what eBay had done and improved on the process, Amazon made the act of stationary buying/selling even smoother and simpler. Like eBay, there are a whole host of sellers, so I will be listing the varying conditions and what comes with each product as I did for eBay’s showing. However, with Amazon there are more businesses that use the service, with even PlayStation itself selling directly through the site, so in Amazon’s New category you will be seeing a much more professional product. Warranty also works in a similar way to eBay with each seller giving varying versions. With official businesses selling through Amazon you will most likely get a manufacturer’s warranty; where if anything goes wrong you can send the unit back for repairs. Otherwise you will also be allowed to send the unit back and get a refund if unwanted within a described time period, and if there are any issues there is also an Amazon team ready to step in and get you your desired refund.
New
- HTC Vive VR System = £563.52 + Free Postage
- Controller = £199 + Free Postage
- Deluxe Audio Strap = £120 + £4.59 Postage
- HTC Vive VR Pro Full Kit = £1,848.33 + Free Postage
Used
- HTC Vive VR System = £688.98 + £6.44 Postage
- Controller = £149.99 + £2.03 Postage
- Deluxe Audio Strap = N/A
- HTC Vive VR Pro Full Kit = N/A
The newest of the online markets to emerge, Facebook's online shop allows its users to sell their items to anyone else on Facebook. A much more personal service than eBay or Amazon with every seller being your average Joe and all the items available are used, or at least owned, by the seller. Unlike other online marketplaces, the seller can choose how they are paid, whether that be with money or a swapping of goods. Returns on products are up to the seller, so be careful when purchasing, and if you need any more information on a product you can direct message the seller to gain all your answers.
- HTC Vive VR System = £345
- Controller = £80
- Deluxe Audio Strap = £70
- HTC Vive VR Pro Full Kit = £1,100
And with that ends our guide to buying the VR system of your choice. I hope these lists have helped you figure out what you need to get and where is the cheapest to get them because without people actually playing this new and exciting branch of gaming VR will never become more than just an interesting peripheral. As always, thanks for reading.
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