HTC Vive really is the company’s future, here’s proof

Last week HTC CEO Cher Wang hinted that virtual reality could be even more important than smartphones. Now she’s apparently making good on that claim with plans to spin the Vive headset off into its own VR-focused firm.

A report out of Taiwan claims the Vive could be an independent entity owned by Wang and HTC. Plans to spinoff the division were allegedly considered as early as March 2015, but temporarily put on hold. The report adds that the company is currently talking to its employees about whether they’re interested in working for the new firm.

The HTC Vive is still set to launch in April, and pre-orders will be available on February 29. We still don’t know how much that VR headset will cost, though it’s rumored to be as much as $1,500. That could make the Vive a tough sell compared to the $600 Oculus Rift.

Even so, HTC’s stock price is up on the news. It’s jumped almost four points already this morning at the Taiwan Stock Exchange, fueled by expectations that VR can help carry the company’s struggling phone business and return some of its former glory.