HTC has teamed up with HP to produce a virtual reality bundle that gives buyers essentially everything they need to enter the world of VR. The bundle includes both a HTC Vive headset and its peripherals, along with a HP Envy gaming desktop, all for a reasonable price of just $1,499.
When you consider that the HTC Vive normally retails for $800, the bundle basically includes the HP Envy desktop for $700. For that price, you get an Intel Core i5-6400, 8 GB of RAM, an AMD Radeon RX 480 graphics card, a 128 GB solid state drive, and a 1 TB hard drive. A Windows 10 Home license is also included along with extras like a DVD drive, keyboard and mouse.
This isn't a particularly powerful system, but it meets the minimum specifications for gaming with the HTC Vive. HTC claims that buyers will get $1,699 of value in this bundle, which also includes two free VR games: The Lab, and theBlu:Encounter.
The bundle is actually pretty good value when you consider the cost of the components in the HP ENVY 750-415VHR. We headed over to Newegg and found the cheapest price for the components in the desktop, with the total price falling closer to $800 than $700. And that's without factoring in the cost of assembly.
You'll be able to purchase the bundle this holiday season, and while it's not cheap, it could be the best way to jump into virtual reality if you don't already have a gaming PC. As the product page notes, you'll still need a monitor and a couple of cables to actually complete the setup, but the bundle includes the two main parts for a virtual reality setup.