HTC’s unlimited VR subscription service launches April 2 for $13 per month

HTC is about to launch its unlimited Viveport Infinity service for owners of some of the best VR headsets. Starting April 2, users can sign up for $12.99 per month, or save a chunk of money by opting for the annual $99 plan.

The subscription includes unlimited access to a library spanning over 600 games and apps, plus membership perks such as weekend deals on select apps, giveaways, monthly coupons, and so forth.

"We have built a new model for VR that shines a light on the great library of VR content this industry has developed and gives users a reason to spend more time in headset than ever before," said Rikard Steiber, President of Viveport. "At the same time, we’re increasing developer reach and potential revenue as more developers can monetize a single Infinity user. We believe this model matches how consumers want to experience VR."

HTC is also hoping to grow its catalog by making it more lucrative for developers—it's increasing the revenue split from 70/30 to 80/20 through the end of 2019. It's not clear what the split will look in 2020 and beyond, though.

Viveport Infinity is compatible with all of HTC's headsets, including the Vive and Vive Pro, as well as the Oculus Rift and any standalone headset built on its Wave platform. The service mostly consists of casual games and apps, but for VR headset owners craving more content, this is a relatively inexpensive way of getting it.

While the service launches on April 2, users can sign up for a free 14-day trial now and then lock in a discounted $8.99 per month subscription, which is currently the price for a sub that includes access to just 5 apps or games each month. The annual fee is still slightly cheaper, but if you'd rather pay in monthly chunks, this is the way to go.

Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).