HTC has kicked off pre-orders this morning for their previously announced HTC Vive Pro Head Mounted Display, setting the price on the standalone HMD at $799. Furthermore, any Vive Pro HMDs purchased by June 3rd, which will begin shipping on April 5th, includes a free six-month trial to Viveport Subscription where owners will get the chance to play 30 titles with their new HMD. Meanwhile, the company has also announced a $100 price drop for the current Vive full kit. This price reduction brings it down to $499 globally. 

The HTC Vive Pro VR HMD is aimed towards consumers and professionals who love want to be on the bleeding edge of VR hardware. While not a full generational update over its predecessor, the Vive Pro comes equipped with dual 3.5-inch OLED displays with a combined resolution of 2880x1600 at 90 Hz refresh rate. This increase in resolution over the current Vive (78% more pixels) significantly increases the resulting image clarity. However, it's worth noting that the FOV remains at 110° - the same as the Vive (non-Pro). Additionally, the Vive Pro features integrated headphones with a built-in amplifier as well as dual microphones which HTC says creates a ‘heightened sense of presence and sound through noise cancellation capabilities’.

The Vive Pro was also redesigned for increased comfort using a head-strap which balances the weight of the headset more evenly and features simple adjustment buttons for users who wear glasses. The Pro works with both SteamVR tracking 1.0 and 2.0 so existing Vive customers are able to upgrade the headset only while continuing to use current generation controllers and base stations. In essence, users are receiving a unit with increased resolution, integrated audio, and a redesigned headset strap for comfort. 

We are hoping to hear more about the Vive wireless adapter using Intel’s WiGig technology to get rid of the cords. However it would seem that HTC isn't revealing anything about its availability at this time.

Gallery: HTC Vive Pro

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Related Reading:

• HTC at CES 2018 - Vive Pro VR Headset with Higher-Res Displays, Two Cams, Headphones
• The Anandtech Podcast, Episode 43: CES 2018 Headlines and Highlights
• HTC Announces Standalone Vive Focus with 6DoF Tracking, Cancels Daydream VR Headsets
• VR Startup Varjo Announces Shiping of High-Resolution Headset Prototype, Aimed at Professional Markets
• Futuremark To Release VRMark Cyan Room on November 22: A DX12 VR Benchmark