Skip to main content

HTC Vive bundle lets you climb Everest, walk the plank for free till end of March

htc vive bundle games newvr01
Image used with permission by copyright holder
If you’ve been umming and ahhing over whether to buy a HTC Vive virtual reality headset, making the leap before the end of March would make a lot of sense. If purchased before then, the bundle will come with two additional games, Richie’s Plank Experience and Everest VR, making for a total of four for new owners.

When it was first released in April 2016, the HTC Vive shipped out with popular launch titles like Google’s TiltBrush, Job Simulator and Fantastic Contraption, but times have changed since then. More recently, new buyers have been given free copies of Zombie Training Simulator and The Gallery: Episode 1: Call of the Starseed. Now though, they get two more as well.

The new additions offer two similarly vertigo-inducing experiences, but are rather different in execution. Richie’s Plank Experience is designed to induce real fear for those who don’t like heights and introduce people to the capabilities of virtual reality, while Everest VR is more atmospheric and awe-inspiring.

As much as free games are hard to turn down, the addition of these two titles is an interesting choice for HTC. While Richie’s Plank Experience is a reasonably well-reviewed title on Steam, the amount of content it offers is rather spare. It’s perhaps a good way to start out in VR and makes for a fun demo game, but it doesn’t have a lot to offer.

While Everest VR gives about an hour’s worth of playtime, according to reviewers, most report a decidedly negative experience. Some reviewers suggest they had trouble moving beyond the bounds of their physical room, while others claimed that the amount of content on offer was so limited they regretted buying it.

That sort of feeling may be alleviated by those who get it for free, but HTC didn’t exactly put its best foot forward with those choices for the bundle. Fortunately, both Zombie Simulator and The Gallery’s first episode were both very well reviewed and offer new VR users much more to play with.

The $800 HTC Vive bundle with additional games can be bought directly from HTC, or through Amazon, according to RoadtoVR.

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
HP Envy deals: HP’s most popular laptop starts at $630
An HP Envy 17-inch laptop sits on an office desk.

A great computer brand to shop if you’re in the market for a new laptop is HP, which is consistently among the best laptop brands. It has several different model lineups to choose from, with the HP Envy laptop lineup offering a good balance of hardware options and pricing. The HP Envy lineup is also a good one to shop because it regularly turns out some impressive laptop deals. That’s certainly the case right now, as there are a lot of HP Envy deals to shop. We’ve rounded up what we feel are the best HP Envy deals currently taking place, so read onward for more information on how to land some savings.
HP Envy x360 2-in-1 laptop 15Z-FH000 — $630, was $900

The HP Envy x360 convertible laptop is a great option for just about anyone, particularly anyone who enjoys the touchscreen functionality of a tablet. It’s well designed and super slim, making it a truly go-anywhere device. Despite its portability, it still has an immersive 15.6-inch touchscreen that’s great for creators, note-takers, and binge watchers. Top notch build quality and durability, fast charging technology, a fingerprint reader, and great battery life round out the top features of the HP Envy x360 convertible touchscreen laptop. It competes well with the best 2-in-1 laptops. Its versatility and all-around capability make it a worthy companion on any desk, and on any lap.

Read more
Best Surface Laptop and Surface Pro deals: From $450
Microsoft Surface Go 3 sitting on table.

If you want a thin and light laptop that's similar to the MacBook Air but not in the Apple ecosystem, then the Microsoft Surface lineup of laptops is absolutely the way to go. In fact, if you've seen the recent unwrapping of the business version of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, you might be fired up and ready to grab your own surface. Unfortunately, the Surface lineup can be quite expensive, which is why we've gone out and scoured the retailers for the best deals we could find and collected them below. So, be sure to check out everything, as well as some of these other great laptop deals if you aren't fully committed to the Microsoft Surface lineup.
Microsoft Surface Go 3 -- $450, was $550

Functioning as a 2-in-1 laptop that can switch between tablet mode and laptop mode, the Microsoft Surface Go 3 won't have trouble dealing with basic tasks as it's equipped with the Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y processor and 8GB of RAM. The 10.5-inch touchscreen with 1920 x 1080 resolution is bright and colorful, and its 128GB SSD is more than enough for your documents. The Microsoft Surface Go 3 ships with Windows 11 Home in Mode, so you can start using it as soon as you unbox it. The device also promises up to 11 hours of battery life before requiring a recharge.

Read more
Best GPU deals: MSI, XFX, EVGA
An AMD graphics card in an external GPU enclosure.

If you're building a new PC from scratch, or upgrading an old one, then a new GPU is probably one of the biggest upgrades you can make, at least if you're looking for great gaming performance. Unfortunately, the last generation of RTX 40-series cards really amped the prices up, and even if you're going for AMD, you're going to be paying a pretty penny to get your hands on a good GPU. That said, there are some good deals to be had; whether you want something budget-friendly or high-end, you can always put that extra money you save into more RAM or a better CPU. Also, be sure to check out some of these gaming PC deals if you'd rather just grab something already pre-built.
MSI AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT Mech 2X 4GB GDDR6 -- $175, was $190

If you're looking for something that is ultra-budget, then this RX 6500 XT is a good option in the lower range and should let you handle at least some of the main free-to-play games like CS:GO and Rocket League, although you will have to play with graphical compromises. It should also handle indie and casual games, especially older ones like the ones you might find on emulators, so it's also a good option for that sort of budget build. the 4GB of VRAM is not a lot, but again, if you're not planning to play any modern AAA or AA games, then this isn't a bad option.

Read more