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Elite: Dangerous to get SteamVR and HTC Vive support this year

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Frontier Developments today announced it will support SteamVR and the HTC Vive virtual reality headset in the PC version of its massively multiplayer space epic Elite Dangerous.

The HTC Vive will be the first virtual reality headset available to consumers, and Elite Dangerous will support Vive on PC from launch via a free update available Holiday 2015.

SteamVR support in Elite Dangerous marks the latest step in Frontier Developments’ ongoing commitment to immersive, high resolution virtual reality experiences.

‘We’re thrilled to announce SteamVR support as part of the ongoing expansion ofElite Dangerous,’ Frontier Developments’ Chief Creative Officer Jonny Watts said. ‘Back in December 2013 we were among the first to support virtual reality with a triple-A game, and for me, exploring, trading and fighting throughout Elite Dangerous’ 1:1 scale Milky Way remains an unequaled virtual reality experience. We have been working closely with Valve to bring Elite Dangerous to HTC Vive, and we are delighted with the quality we have been able to achieve.’

‘Frontier’s Elite Dangerous is an excellent example of a team leveraging the versatility of the Vive and Steam VR,’ Valve’s Chet Faliszek said. ‘Players take the helm of an amazing starship experience, and we look forward to showing it for the first time on Vive at EGX.’

Visitors to this week’s EGX 2015 gaming show can experience a preview of Elite Dangerous and HTC Vive at the Elite Dangerous and HTC booths. EGX 2015 takes place in Birmingham, UK from Thursday 24 September until Sunday 27 September.

Celebratory week-long sale
To celebrate the announcement, Frontier Developments is placing Elite Dangerousfor PC and Mac on sale for one week only at FrontierStore.net and Steam. Until Monday 28 September, Elite Dangerous will be available for £17.99 ($26.99, €22.49, 1,349 Rubles) – 40 percent off its usual RRP of £29.99 ($44.99, €37.49, 2,249 Rubles).

All PC versions of Elite Dangerous will be updated to offer SteamVR support at no extra cost this Holiday season.

Announcing Mayhem
New Elite Dangerous players are invited to join existing players in the two-week Elite Dangerous Mayhem community event, beginning today.

All players will be granted early access to the ‘open gamma’ release of Elite Dangerous 1.4 CQC and invited to participate in a series of competitive and cooperative events across the pre-release test galaxy, to be livestreamed atTwitch.tv/EliteDangerous.

The free 1.4 CQC expansion launches in October for PC, Mac and Xbox One, introducing instant arena-based PVP action to the Elite Dangerous galaxy in Close Quarter Combat Championships (CQC). CQC launches with Capture The Flag, Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes, and headlines a list of other features and improvements affecting the open galaxy.