Virtual reality is off to a slow start, but HTC is giving it a kick today as it is announcing that it will bundle Bethesda’s upcoming Fallout 4 VR with the HTC Vive.
The bundle shows that HTC is still being aggressive about pushing VR to the mass market, even as forecasters reduce their overall expectations for VR sales. HTC launched the Vive in mid-2016 at a price of $800. In August, it cut the price to $600 in answer to Facebook’s Oculus division dropping the price of the Oculus Rift headset.
Bethesda’s Fallout 4 VR is highly anticipated because it means that one of the biggest PC and console game creators is embracing VR, and that’s what the platform needs in order to keep growing.
Bethesda has set a price of $60 for Fallout 4 VR, which launches on December 12, 2017. Those who purchase the HTC Vive hardware bundle will get a redemption code to download Fallout 4 VR for free when it becomes available.
The 2D-screen version of the post-apocalyptic role-playing game Fallout 4 was one of the biggest hits of 2015, winning more than 200 “best of” awards.
Joel Breton, general manager of Vive Studios, said that the VR version of the title will have the same near-endless content as its non-VR console and PC counterparts, with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests fully playable in VR.
Existing Vive customers who purchase Fallout 4 VR will be able to sign up for a bonus three-month Viveport Subscription offer that will be available prior to the game’s launch. Viveport Subscription allows consumers to choose from more than 250 pieces of content.