On the same day that the Oculus Rift goes on sale in the UK, preorders for Oculus Touch, the long-awaited motion-control input device, also starts.
Game's store displays show the Oculus Touch set at 190 pounds, or about $247, less than a day after the Rift became available. Engadget UK's Nick Summers was the first to spot the store display and he has shared the photo on Twitter.
Oculus Touch controllers to cost £190 in the UK. Crikey. pic.twitter.com/zg9JTNiCg8
— Nick Summers (@nisummers) September 20, 2016
However, it still remains uncertain how much the Oculus Touch will be once it ships to the U.S. Oculus has mostly kept mum about the exact price point of the device, but Rift owners expect it to cost about $199.
Those who want to preorder the Touch and have it delivered at their doorstep on the same day as the launch will have to pay 50 pounds. Brendan Iribe, CEO of Oculus, confirmed in July that the Touch ships in Q4. An in-store Oculus rep says that the controllers will indeed get a winter release, said Road to VR. No more delays this time, hopefully.
This is not the first time that the price for the Touch was leaked. On Sept. 8, German electronics retailer Media Markt published the price and launch of the Touch, but it was quick to undo the mishap.
The Touch's price tag may be a tad overwhelming for some consumers. It's already close to buying a brand new console. The controllers come with an additional camera sensor for improved tracking, which might be the cause of the price uptick.
Once the Touch is released, those who plan to board virtual reality experience should find many options available, one of them the HTC Vive, a direct competitor to the Rift. An understandable rivalry exists between Rift and Vive players, often going head-to-head in aspects of hardware, availability of games and even design.
Notably, the Vive is designed with a sophisticated technology meant for ambulatory gameplay, or simply put, being able to move around in a more immersive experience. The Oculus Rift, however, prefers artificial locomotion, focusing on seated and standing experiences. And unlike the Rift, the Vive ships with two controllers.
If the Oculus Touch does indeed turn out to be set at $199, that brings the total price of the Rift and controllers to about $799. For comparison, the Vive also costs $799. This bumps the Touch to a price parity with the Vive, pitting them laterally in the playing field.
More details surrounding the Touch and all things Oculus-related should arrive soon as the third Oculus Connect Conference kicks off on Oct. 5.
Photo: Marco Verch | Flickr
