In a couple of weeks, HTC will kick off the first retail sales of its Vive virtual reality headset in Australia’s two largest electronics retail stores. JB and Harvey Norman will start to sell the Vive from November 21.
This move also means you’ll be able to buy the Vive at the cheapest price it’s been offered at since its April launch into Australia. At both stores, you’ll pay just under $1400 with a $1399 RRP, although Harvey Norman is technically cheaper at $1398.
HTC’s country development manager for the Asia-Pacific, Raymond Pao, says that a VR experience will be available in the approximately 60 Harvey Norman and 50 JB Hi-Fi stores to show off the Vive to customers. “I think demonstrations are really important to show off VR in a retail space. You’ll have a dedicated store person to walk you through the experience.”
Jimmy Feng, chief of staff to HTC’s CEO, said that the company is cautiously monitoring the possibility of expanding into lifestyle and department stores in Australia: “It depends on the interest — we’d like more people to experience VR, and it’s more than just gaming.”
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16 responses to “The HTC Vive Will Be Sold At JB Hi-Fi And Harvey Norman This Month”
1400? There go my dreams…
You can get the Rift for under AU$800 from AmazonUK (including shipping). Brexit is killing the GBP. If you want hand controllers, Touch will be out next month for US$220 (free shipping).
And the required PC specs have dropped significantly after the last driver updates.
Nice, that’s more within my range. Thanks!
Here, champ. You can use mine while you wait….
[Runs]
[Turns out the device has a FNAF 3 clone where Weresmurf is on the Enterprise trying to fend off Troi’s mother]
Rift UNDER $800. might be able to swing that one past the wife now…..
Not sure how you work it out to $800.. just checked, it’s 800 pounds on AmazonUK at the moment which converts to $1200 AU.
What are you looking for? Oculus on Amazon UK (ships and dispatched by Amazon) is listed at 549 GBP, which converts to a hair under $900 AUD. Take away about $100 from VAT, and he’s right.
yeah minus the touch controllers and your second camera/third if you want full room scale, lets not forget those.
cheapest i can find today is the oculus site
845 aussie dollar after conversion with free shipping
Its worse than you think, i bought mine about 2 months ago from HTC direct, 3 days from order to arrival at my doorstep and i only payed $1340AUD.
more proof of Aussie retailers ripping people off.
How much would you expect a retailer to make selling one of these at $1399?
$500, $300 no more like $100.
I am not defending the retail stores but for the $100 they have to stock them, support them and dedicate many hours in training staff (hopefully they bother with the last one).
So I wouldn’t call that ripping people off. It is more like HTC are charging too much for them.
My price included shipping, conversion fees and customs fees.
I hope I’m wrong but I think your dreaming if you believe the Vive is going to be sold out. The device is definitely the best VR device but the price is far to high for the everyday consumer. Not enough people would even have the necessary PC specs to use it for it to sell out. Putting units in store will work more as an advertisement of VR for Oculus and PSVR than for the Vive. Just my opinion and I truly hope I’m wrong but I see Vive becoming another Google Glass than a PSVR.
I’m personally of the opinion that VR will rapidly become a two horse race between Microsoft (because of an open manufacturing standard that anyone can use) and Sony (because of console incumbency).
Everyone else will die a slow death.
So when do all these so called free trade agreements kick in cause either thats still a large amount of import tax or “Australia tax” is a real thing (which should be illegal under trade agreements)
You’re getting it all wrong. Free Trade Agreements are for companies, not consumers. None of them have any prohibition on the Australia Tax at all, and many add additional anti-consumer clauses on top of that.
https://www.vive.com/us/product/
Its right there on the website for $799 USD
Shipping would be like 100 bucks and tax is gonna be like 240 bucks at 30%
so like 1150 usd
So $1264 AUD
With the Store making about 15% after getting a good deal from HTC and large quantity shipping
1400 bucks is about right. Should be about 1300 maybe 1320. 1400 is a bit steep
Guys the key here is the margins the retailers require in Australia is higher than you expect they need to cover stocking, staff training, demo in store, localised marketing and potentially doing some cool bundles with PC???
I bought mine in June and was subject to FX of 0.72 by my credit card when it was ard 0.75 at the time. By the time it landed at USD899 + USD 120 in international freight + customs, I was paying in excess of AU$1400+.
It’s nice to be able to buy at a fixed rate of $1399, immediately in store and not be subject to FX fluctuations.
Don’t quote me for it but I wouldn’t be surprised if retailers would run Xmas specials :).
As long as JB doesn’t charge people when they decide to give demos, then this is a welcome thing. Hopefully when it gets priced down at some point, JB will do a great deal usually. It’s still expensive though.