HTC Vive Virtual Reality Headset Not Available Until April; Opposed to Planned Initial Release

After announcing that the HTC Vive VR headsets will be shipped before this year ends, the manufacturer reported that the gadget will not be available to consumers until April 2016.

According to The Verge, HTC posted a statement in it site trying to "clear up speculation and misinformation" regarding the launch, explaining the delay. "We will be starting the new year by making an additional 7,000 units available to developers, followed by commercial availability in April 2016," the statement continues.

Released in spring, the Vive is a high-end virtual reality headset created by HTC, together with Valve's SteamVR program. HTC already revised the launch before. In August, it is reported that a limited quantity of commercial systems would be available by the end of the year, with "larger quantities" shipping in the first quarter next year, which is the same release window as the Oculus Rift. Now, it says that second generation of its development kit will launch at the Consumers Electronics Show.

"We remain committed to delivering the HTC Vive to a broader group of content creators and partners, and remain focused on delivering the very best experience possible for a consumer release," the company wrote on its website, referring to speculation about the Vive's planned release this month, as reported by CNET.

HTC's delay shows just the latest bump in VR's long process from research projects to store shelves. So far, only Google's Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR are being offered to the consumers. Others will not be available until 2016.

There are still no reports about the price or the detailed launch dates for products like Oculus Rift, Sony PlayStation VR or the HTC Vive which are focused on high-end virtual reality games and videos.

However, the lack of detail has not stooped the fans from actively hyping these gadgets, nor has it stooped a huge number of developers from creating all kinds of content. Major video streaming companies like Netflix and Hulu work with the gadgets while game developers like Harmonix, Sony and Microsoft are prepping to offer games.