The HTC Vive virtual reality headset is now $200 cheaper.

That means the system’s cost has been brought down to $599 in the US (or £599 in the UK). The discount will likely stoke consumer interest, and it keeps the system more in line with the Oculus Rift, which also got a $200 price cut last spring to $499 (though it's temporarily $399, thanks to a summer sale.). HTC said this version of Vive will stay on the market well into 2018, The Verge reported.

In other words, HTC isn't discounting the Vive to make room for a new VR headset, even though the company is working with Google on a standalone VR headset based on the Daydream platform. That upcoming headset is expected to be available by the end of the year. It will have everything you need for VR built in - including no phone or cables - so that getting into VR will be as easy as picking it up.

The full HTC Vive package comes with the VR headset, two motion controllers, and two wall-mounted sensors. And all Vive purchases come with a free trial to Viveport Subscription, where you can choose up to five titles a month to experience, and copies of "many of the most popular pieces of VR content today, including Google's Tilt Brush, Everest VR, and Richie’s Plank Experience", according to HTC.

Check out Pocket-lint's review for more details about HTC Vive.