Games for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset will cost about as much as non-VR games: $60.
That's the same price you pay for most games on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U. Many PC games cost $60 these days, even.
That's according to Oculus co-founder and VP of product Nate Mitchell, who spoke with Tech Insider on Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The price is somewhat of a surprise given how different VR games can be from traditional video games. Developers creating VR games are pioneers of a new medium, and that can be an expensive endeavor.
Oculus also announced on Wednesday that the Oculus Rift VR headset is available for pre-order now for $600 and begins shipping on March 28 with two free games included: "EVE: Valkyrie" and "Lucky's Tale."
Mitchell used "EVE: Valkyrie" as a point of reference for the kind of pricing we can expect for premium games. While those who pre-order the Oculus Rift get the game for free, it costs $59.99 if you buy the "EVE: Valkyrie" Founder's Pack separately.
Not all games for the Oculus will be premium, however. "You're going to see some lower-end, more affordable experiences, especially stuff that comes over from Gear VR," Mitchell said. Those games range from free to $15.99.
The Gear VR is a different VR headset that uses one of Samsung's flagship phones (Galaxy S6, Note 5, etc.) to run games and "experiences." Since smartphones aren't nearly as powerful as the computer required to power the Oculus Rift, games aren't as graphically detailed and don't require as much development expense as marquee console and PC games.
Therefore, Gear VR games don't cost as much.
Oculus hasn't revealed the full lineup of games and "experiences" that will launch alongside the Rift just yet, but Mitchell estimates there will be "dozens of high quality, very high caliber experiences" available at launch. Over the course of 2016, Mitchell expects "about 100 experiences" to be released, with about 20 of those coming from the company's own Oculus Studios.
We'll have more on the Oculus Rift straight from CES in Vegas as the week continues.
