HTC Vive virtual reality headset pre-orders to start on February 29

The smartphone manufacturer is looking forward to what it sees as the future of wearable tech, the HTC Vive virtual reality headset, with pre-orders going live at the end of February.

The February 29 pre-order date is also expected to be the day that HTC announces a price for the kit, whose latest version was on display at the Consumer Electronics Show early January.

Pre-orders for the Oculus Rift went live on January 6, pegging the headset at $599, which was more than expected and nearly double the $349 of its prior prototype, Development Kit 2, an increase attributable to the introduction of custom-made parts more suitable for a retail product, said Oculus VR.

Previous messaging from HTC, plus the Vive's use of custom base stations and controllers, had positioned the Vive as a premium product, setting expectations that it would top the Rift's price point, though its tag is not expected to be revealed until pre-orders commence.

Sony also has a new piece of VR kit in development for 2016, PlayStation VR, intended for use with the PlayStation 4 console.

A September 2015 interview with PlayStation CEO Andrew House had the PS VR "priced as a new gaming platform," leading many to believe that it would be introduced at $399 as the PS4 was in 2013, but a  January 7 Amazon Canada price leak, whether erroneous or not, pegged the PS VR at around $799 USD.

Having been developed in partnership with PC gaming giant Valve Corporation, HTC CEO Cher Wang revealed the Vive's February 29 pre-order date in conversation with The Telegraph.