As of tomorrow, Monday August the 1st, pre-order prices for the HTC Vive will increase by almost $100 or £70 to be exact. This change affects only the UK market, bringing the cost up from £689.99 to an even more dizzying £759 plus post and packing. No clear indication as to why has been given, but only the most ignorant of us could ignore the influence of the UK referendum earlier this year.

Contrary to what many have been claiming, the British economy is not on the brink of collapse. However, with the $/£ exchange ratio at its lowest (or highest if you’re looking from across the pond) it has been in more than three decades, there are certain to be more such changes in years to come. Even in ideal circumstances, belts will have to be tightened across the board in auld Blighty. In this case, at least, we’re looking at a product that was already well out of most consumers’ price range. But it will be interesting to see what the future holds.

At present, there does not appear to be any plan to retroactively increase the price for those who have already pre-ordered. So now may be the best time to take the plunge if you have been waiting. And who knows, perhaps this was a deliberate move on their part to encourage a sales rush but that remains pure speculation on my part. All we can say for certain, is that VR just stepped even further out of reach for a lot of people who couldn’t, and wouldn’t, be getting it anyway. For everyone else, the next few months are going to be tense.

We will update you with anything further as soon as we learn of it. In the meantime, feel free to leave your two cents below.