Somnium Space, a company based in the Czech Republic known for creating social platforms, has recently increased the prices of their high-end PC VR headset, the Somnium VR1. They say this decision was necessary to "uphold the highest quality standards."
Last month, the company announced that they were cutting back on the number of Somnium VR1 configurations they offered. Along with that news, they revealed plans to hike prices on the remaining three versions starting January 16th, 2025, without initially disclosing how much the increase would be.
Now, they’ve shared the details: the new pricing (excluding local taxes) shows a jump of €500 to €700 compared to previous costs:
| Edition | Features | Previous Price (EUR excl. taxes) | USD | New Price (EUR excl. taxes) | USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visionary Edition | VR, eye-tracking | €2,499 | ~$2,600 | €2,999 | ~$3,090 |
| Titan Edition | VR, eye-tracking, hand-tracking | €2,899 | ~$3,020 | €3,399 | ~$3,500 |
| Ultimate Edition | VR, eye-tracking, hand-tracking, MR passthrough | €3,499 | ~$3,659 | €4,299 | ~$4,425 |
In a blog post, the company explained that the price increase is a result of higher production costs:
“These changes reflect the complex production processes and our unwavering commitment to delivering the best PCVR experience possible. High-quality materials, intricate designs, and rigorous quality control result in additional production costs, including the inevitable scrap of some expensive components to meet our standards. Our dedication to uncompromising quality ensures that each VR1 headset is a masterpiece, designed to exceed your expectations,” the company stated.
Originally, Somnium Space offered seven different consumer models of the headset. They’ve since discontinued the Classic, Striker, Specter, and Translucent Editions, likely as a strategy to lower production expenses.
In the past, their entry-level option was the Classic Edition—a no-frills PC VR headset lacking eye-tracking, which was priced at €1,900 (~$1,980 USD), again not including taxes.
Furthermore, the company has updated its delivery schedule for new Somnium VR1 orders, targeting a shipment window of March to April 2025. They assure customers they are striving to shorten this timeframe to "just two weeks from order to shipment by mid-2025," covering most of Europe, the UK, and the US with supported shipping.
If you’re interested in more insights on the Somnium VR1, don’t miss our hands-on experience from their annual Somnium Connect event last July.
Somnium VR1 Specifications
- Display: QLED Mini-Led Fast LCD – 2,880 × 2,880 per-eye
- Field of View: 130° horizontal, 105° vertical. It can render up to 140° horizontally, although your actual field of view may differ slightly based on your face and eye shape.
- Refresh Rate: 72 Hz, 90 Hz, with potential to upgrade to 120 and 144 Hz (experimental)
- Local Dimming Zones: 576 per eye
- Eye Tracking: 120 Hz, using an open-source algorithm that can be customized for different applications
- Connectivity: USB-C, DisplayPort 1.4, 3.5mm audio jack
- IPD Range: 57 to 76 mm
