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Pre-Order the $799 HTC Vive Now

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The HTC Vive virtual-reality headset is now available for pre-order.

An updated version of the $799 device, which HTC announced last week at Mobile World Congress, will start shipping in April.

Unlike competing VR products from Samsung and LG, HTC's Vive offers a full-body experience that lets users control all aspects of the experience. Users can do everything from aim and shoot to dodge and spin while playing games. Content for the Vive is offered via Valve's Steam platform, which promises access to a wide range of VR-friendly video games.

Because of its reliance on Steam, however, the Vive needs to be connected to a PC. To find out if your PC can handle the Vive, Valve launched the SteamVR Performance Test, a two-minute evaluation that uses Valve's Aperture Robot Repair VR demo. The two-minute test will collect system data to determine if your machine is capable of running virtual-reality content at 90 frames per second, "and whether VR content can tune the visual fidelity up to the recommended level."

If the PC requirements don't preclude a Vive purchase, the price might. In addition to the $799 price tag, HTC is estimating a $30 shipping fee to the U.S.

The HTC Vive is one of the many fully immersive virtual-reality headsets expected to launch this year. Facebook-owned Oculus will launch its Rift and Sony will offer up its PlayStation VR. Microsoft on Monday also said it will ship a developer edition of its HoloLens AR wearable to customers starting next month. Samsung and LG are also competing in the VR market with cheaper, smartphone-based solutions.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.

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Don Reisinger

Don Reisinger

donreisinger@gmail.com

Don Reisinger is a longtime freelance technology journalist and product reviewer. He covers everything from Apple to gaming to start-ups. You can follow him on Twitter @donreisinger.

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