HTC Vive Cosmos Elite headset will be available as a Vive upgrade with Half-Life: Alyx

Valve's first foray into virtual reality produced, in collaboration with HTC, the Vive. Valve has since moved on to develop its own in-house headset, the Index. However, HTC has continued to develop the Vive lineup with the Vive Pro, Cosmos, Cosmos Play, and now Cosmos Elite. The Cosmos Elite headset, like the Index headset, has made the switch from an OLED display to an LCD, which translates to a higher subpixel count, significantly minimizing the screen-door effect.

The Vive Cosmos has been available for the hefty price of $900, just $100 below the full Index kit. However, unlike the Index, the Cosmos Elite kit still makes use of original Vive base stations and controllers. Since owners of the original Vive already have these accessories, HTC will soon be offering the Cosmos Elite headset as a standalone upgrade for $550. Owners of the original Vive Cosmos will also be able to purchase the Elite's Eexternal tracking faceplate for $200. Like Valve with the Index, HTC has sweetened the deal by bundling Half-Life: Alyx with the Cosmos Elite, including both the standalone headset and faceplate. According to Slash Gear, the standalone headset and faceplate will become available in the US for preorder on May first, and become fully available on May first.

The standalone headset may be a bit of a tough sell with the standalone Valve Index headset priced $50 cheaper. That said, Valve is currently suffering from a supply shortage, estimating that new orders will ship eight weeks after purchase. Those who want to upgrade their VR equipment earlier may be willing to pay the extra $50 for HTC's headset. If you're looking for an upgrade, though, I'd suggest spending your money on Index controllers before shelling out for a new headset.

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