HTC has found great success in the virtual reality market, not just with the VIVE headset, but with the Viveport service too. The subscription-based service grants VIVE owners access to a bunch of virtual reality apps to dive in to each month. Unfortunately for current subscribers, in order to attract better content, the Viveport subscription price does need to go up.

From the 22nd of March onward, those signing up to Viveport in the UK will have to pay £8.99 per month, rather than £6.99. In order to smooth things over with current subscribers, HTC will be offering all Viveport subscribers a free game this month. Going forward, Viveport will also include discounts and promotions for third-party apps and games.

Speaking with Trusted Reviews, Viveport President, Rikard Steiber, explained that the price bump will mean that developers will be earning an “additional 22 percent from their title in the subscription catalogue”. HTC appears to be taking inspiration from Netflix here- Netflix has raised subscription prices over the last few years in order to ensure better content can hit the platform.

With HTC now able to pay developers a bigger share, Viveport should hopefully attract some bigger games, apps or VR movies. The Viveport price hike will be going into effect in all available regions from the 22nd of March, if you are a subscriber, you will likely get an email regarding these pricing changes soon.

KitGuru Says: The price hike isn't too dramatic here, but it may give some subscribers pause to reconsider. Do any of you currently use HTC's Viveport service?

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