HTC announces that Vive Cosmos Elite VR headset will ship with a copy of Half-Life: Alyx

In Virtual Reality News

March 20, 2020 – HTC Vive has announced that the Vive Cosmos Elite will ship with Valve’s upcoming VR-exclusive Half-Life: Alyx. The Vive Cosmos Elite bundle, which launched globally on Wednesday this week and retails for USD $899, pairs the performance of external tracking alongside the interchangeability of the Cosmos platform to meet the needs of the most demanding VR entertainment enthusiasts.

Half-Life: Alyx is a new, full-length virtual reality entry in the Half-Life series. Half-Life: Alyx was designed from the ground up for Virtual Reality and features all of the hallmarks of a classic Half-Life game: world exploration, puzzle solving, visceral combat, and an intricately woven story that connects it all with the characters iconic to the Half-Life universe. Vive Cosmos Elite purchasers will receive a redemption code in-box that will unlock the game when it launches on March 23rd.*

“Since we introduced Vive, the industry has clamoured for a seminal VR title,” said Yves Maître, CEO, HTC. “With Half-Life: Alyx, we believe Valve is delivering the experience and expertise to move VR gameplay forward. Congratulations to the Valve team on the upcoming launch.”

“There are few franchises that capture the hearts and minds of gamers around the world like Half-Life and we can’t wait to show our customers what awaits them when paired with Vive Cosmos Elite,” said Dan O’Brien, General Manager of North America, HTC Vive. “We know our customers are going to love the experience of playing on Vive Cosmos Elite from visuals to the ability to quickly flip up in and out of VR.”

Vive Cosmos is an adaptable premium PC-based VR system that can grow with customers over time by changing the front faceplate of the headset or by taking advantage of a host of Vive accessories like the Vive Wireless Adapter. All Vive Cosmos headsets include the same 2880 x 1700 combined pixel resolution, as well as the same comfort features including a flip-up design that lets users switch between the real and virtual world with ease.

In addition to all the platform features of the Vive Cosmos Series, Vive Cosmos Elite includes a pre-installed External Tracking Faceplate, two SteamVR base stations, and two Vive controllers. The External Tracking Faceplate can be used with base station versions 1.0 or 2.0 as well as the original Vive or Vive Pro controllers and can be swapped with the original inside-out tracking faceplate that ships with Vive Cosmos.

Vive Cosmos Elite also supports Vive’s ecosystem of peripherals including the Vive Wireless Adapter for an untethered VR experience and the Vive Tracker.

* While supplies last. Redemption code not available in China, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Singapore or Ukraine.

Image credit: HTC Vive

About the author

Sam Sprigg

Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.