HTC Corporation has announced plans to provide more consumers with the ability to experience virtual reality (VR) with the HTC Vive first-hand through a relationship with Microsoft Stores and GameStop locations across North America. Individuals will have the opportunity to try the HTC Vive, developed in partnership by HTC and Valve, along with select experiences from the more than 120 titles that are available now on Steam, and place reservations for June orders directly with retailers.

The Microsoft Flagship store in New York, Microsoft at Bellevue Square in Washington and Microsoft at City Creek Center in Utah are the first retail locations offering the HTC Vive demo experience. Individuals will have the opportunity to try different types of SteamVR content featured on an Alienware Area-51 PC. Microsoft at Park Meadows Mall in Colorado will have demos available later this week. Additional Microsoft stores are slated to roll out in April with up to 30 stores outfitted this year.

GameStop will offer Vive demonstrations at approximately 10 locations by mid-April. The demonstrations are open to the general public for individual sessions to experience a host of virtual reality content available on Steam. The full list of participating U.S. store locations and timing will be available at www.htcvive.com.

“This is without a doubt the year for virtual reality,” said Dan O’Brien, VP of HTC Vive. “Partnering with the nation’s largest, most respected retail stores is going to give every individual an opportunity to experience what virtual reality was truly meant to be – fully immersive and able to interact with content in a completely new way.”

HTC recently launched a similar partnership in the UK, with long-established London retailer Harrods currently hosting a week-long demonstration area for the HTC Vive. VRFocus will keep you updated with future retail strategies from HTC as well as other VR hardware manufacturers.