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03/29/2024 08:50:39 am

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Virtual Reality Delay? HTC Vive, Oculus Rift Double Their Price on eBay

The logo of online auctioneer eBay stands outside the company's German headquarters.

(Photo : Getty Images / Sean Gallup) The logo of online auctioneer eBay stands outside the company's German headquarters.

Lucky owners of HTC Vive and Oculus Rift may get double of what they paid for their virtual reality devices. A recent posting on eBay showed that the gadgets may be sold for as much as ¥12,988 ($2,000).

The first few buyers who have already gotten the initial batch of those gadgets are now placed in a unique position to choose between enjoying the experience of virtual reality and earning much from the purchase. The Rift is originally priced at ¥5,195 ($800) and Vive is sold at ¥3,897 ($600), but with the delay in the arrival of the succeeding batch of devices, enterprising individuals have decided to put theirs up for sale on eBay.

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In the case of the Oculus Rift, which was supposed to be shipping on March 28, an unknown component shortage has dragged its shipments. CNet reported that there are different accounts as to when the device may be sent out again. One source claims it may be less than a month from the original target date, while another said it may be almost two months after the current launch.

On the other hand, problems in communication and processing of payments have prevented buyers from getting hold of their HTC Vive. The company said there were no shipment delays as they shipped the devices on April 5, as planned.

In a statement issued to Wired, the company clarified that shipping will be "from different regional depots, not from one single global location." This means the units will be delivered based on the date they were ordered by customers in their respective markets.

Another factor was that some card payments were declined mostly because of fraud prevention measures. However, once customers re-order, they are "placed back in their original shipment batch."

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