HTC is still selling its Vive VR headset for $599, which is $200 more than the Oculus Rift. However, if you also need a graphics card and are eyeing up the GeForce GTX 1070, HTC is offering a Vive bundle that comes with a Founders Edition version for $799.
If taking advantage of the bundle, you're basically paying $200 for the GeForce GTX 1070 FE. But should you? That depends on which headset you are in the market for. With the bundle deal in play, pricing is a wash between the two headsets, after factoring in a GeForce GTX 1070.
Barring any sales or rebate offers that might be out there, $400 is about the baseline price of a GeForce GTX 1070. MSI Armor model goes for that price, while Zotac's GeForce GTX 1070 Mini is available for $404. So if you buy a Rift, which recent received a permanent price cut to $399 (and is our current pick because of that), and one of those cards separately, you're at the same price as the Vive bundle.
HTC would be better served by just slashing the price of the Vive so that it costs the same as the Rift, but that's not the situation right now. This is the next best thing, provided you need a GPU upgrade.
The Vive bundle comes with the headset and graphics card, along with two face cushions, a nose rest, two wireless controllers, two base stations, a 3-in-1 cable box, a Link box, earbuds, some cables, a one-month Viveport subscription, and a code to redeem various promotional content. A Fallout 4 VR preorder valued at $60 is also included.
You can find the bundle here.
