Microsoft sets $399 price for ‘Minecraft’-playing VR bundle
Microsoft still hopes it can put the “reality” into virtual reality sales.
The Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant announced Monday its holiday season foray into what it calls mixed reality will be marked by $399 headset/controller bundles from partners such as HP, Lenovo, Dell and Acer, along with a selection of games and other VR experiences. That pricing is roughly in line with the competition. Facebook is selling its Oculus Rift goggle and controller bundle for $400, slashed from $700, reflecting tepid consumer appetite for one of tech’s mosthyped hardware forays.
Clunky, tethered headsets and the lack of a “killer app” have dissuaded all but hard-core gaming enthusiasts from buying VR headsets, leading to slashed forecasts and lowered prices.
Microsoft is gamely trying to change that story. Its VR content includes the travel-focused HoloTour, offering virtual tours of destinations such as Peru’s Machu Picchu, as well as games such as Minecraft, Luna, Space Pirate Trainer and Fantastic Contraption. The new gear, which con- nects to the computer, will also be compatible with content featured on SteamVR.
The company also hopes the ubiquity of the Windows operating system will result in developers producing a rash of new content for its mixed reality gear.
But the bigger sales pitch is both ease of setup and compatibility with less powerful computers, both of which Microsoft hopes will draw new fans to its Windows Mixed Reality platform. Microsoft officials say holiday shoppers will be offered two new lines of Microsoft PCs and laptops that start at $499.
For comparison, when Oculus first launched, the goggles cost around $700 and ran on large PCs priced at around $1,000.
“This is the future of computing, and we want everyone on the journey with us,” said Greg Sullivan, who leads communications for the company’s Windows and Devices unit and gave USA TODAY a demo of the product.
While recent quarterly reports show continued gains in its Azure cloud business, PC sales remain a consistent drag on profits. For Microsoft, inventing the next great computing platform couldn’t come soon enough.