Just before GDC 2015, HTC announced that they were entering into a partnership with Valve to construct one of the first VR headsets that would use the SteamVR technology that Valve had previously announced would be shown at the event. Now Valve say that the headset – the HTC Vive – will be given away free of charge to qualified developers to allow them to develop games for it.

Speaking to Ars Technica about the move which they hope will jumpstart interest in the Vive, Doug Lombardi said that the Developer Edition kit version of it will be “free, at least initially”. The Vive itself will launch in a consumer version sometime later this year.

Already some studios such as Bossa Studios, makers of Surgeon Simulator and I Am Bread, have registered interest. A site is being set up to go live later this week so that developers can sign up for a Developer kit.