Valve has confirmed launch plans for its upcoming Vive virtual reality headset, which the Half-Life and Steam company is developing through a partnership with technology giant HTC.

　　As expected, the first Vive units will be available to the public "later this year," Valve said in a statement. However, only a "limited quantity" of these commercial units will be available at that time. The wider Vive product launch is slated for the first quarter of 2016, meaning sometime in the January-March window.

　　Pricing for the commercial Vive headset models has not been announced.

　　A special version of the Vive headset made specifically for developers has been available--for free-since May. HTC and Valve report that they've received "over 10,000" requests for development kits since then. Though it's not clear how many units are actually in developers' hands, Valve says over 80 virtual reality games/experiences are in production for the Vive headset.

　　The Vive world tour continues this weekend at PAX Prime in Seattle, where anyone can try a number of demos, including the impressive-looking Portal experience we took for a spin at GDC. New games Final Approach and Fantastic Contraption will also be on display during the event.

　　GameSpot editor Peter Brown tried Vive at GDC in March and said that Valve "demonstrates the future of VR better than anyone."

　　For more on how Vive compares to Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus, check out this feature.