HTC targets June for Vive retail availability

HTC has announced that it will be bringing its Vive virtual reality kit to bricks-and-mortar retail outlets in June, even as it apologises to its pre-order customers for ongoing shipping glitches.

Designed to go head-to-head with Oculus VR's Rift headset, HTC's Vive has proven popular: thousands were ordered within the first few minutes of pre-orders going live, and while a lucky few customers have begun to receive their hardware this week the news isn't so good for others. HTC has issued a statement apologising for shipment delays - a problem also encountered by its Facebook-owned rival, it must be noted - stemming from 'multiple issues,' including problems processing credit card payments, some shipments being downgraded to economy postage, lack of tracking information, and confusing communications from the company.

'We understand that multiple issues have arisen in the past two days and we are working hard to resolve them as quickly and efficiently as possible,' a company spokesperson claimed in the blog post, which HTC will use as a notice board for status updates and frequently asked questions regarding the Vive fulfilment process. 'We appreciate your patience as we identify these issues and work to solve them.'

Even as HTC works to resolve the various problems encountered by its pre-order customers, the company is turning its eyes to retail availability. HTC has confirmed plans to have the Vive bundle available in the US at Microsoft and GameStop stores by June, though is as-yet silent on when international retail outlets will be receiving stock. Those taking advantage of sites offering in-person Vive demos will be able to place reservations, the company has confirmed, to be picked up when the hardware becomes generally available in June.