HTC CEO Cher Wang, in an interview with The Telegraph (via IGN), has announced that HTC Vive Pre preorders will open on February 29. Wang didn’t specify the device’s price tag or launch date.
Wang also discussed the company’s shift in focus from smartphones to virtual reality.
“I think the problem was competition – Apple, Xiaomi, these companies spend tons of money on communications and marketing, they pump a huge amount of investment into the market. There are a lot of Chinese competitors.”
The headset was originally meant to launch at some point last year, but was instead delayed until this April. Last week, HTC unveiled that the Vive had been reworked into the second generation Vive Pre, adding a “newly developed front facing camera,” along with redesigned controllers with “enhanced ergonomics and softer edges, greater balance, new textured buttons, and grip pads for a more comfortable feel in the hand.”
Both HTC and Valve are also working with “thousands of developers and partners across a wide spectrum of sectors,” including the health, automotive, and education industries.
The Vive Pre is expected to launch this April.