HTC Vive made good on a pledge to launch a subscription virtual reality (VR) app store service in early 2017, and finally revealed pricing for the facility.

The company announced its Viveport Subscription service will launch on 5 April and is the first of its kind, offering users “a new way to navigate the burgeoning VR app marketplace” and discover new content for $6.99 a month.

Users choose five titles from a library of curated content and get unlimited access to the apps, or they can rotate their selection every month. The apps are also available for sale, so customers can try an app before they decide to buy it.

For developers, this means an additional revenue channel and a way to reach broader audiences, the company said.

Viveport Subscription will launch with a one-month free trial offer for all new users and will include more than 50 titles including TheBlu, Richie’s Plank Experience, Everest VR and Mars Odyssey.

According to Rikard Steiber, president of Viveport at HTC Vive: “The rapid growth of the app market is a win for VR overall yet it can present discoverability challenges that affect both customers and content creators. Introducing a subscription model to VR is a natural evolution of where this market is going…it’s becoming the preferred way customers want to explore and experience entertainment content.”

He added the marketplace for Vive apps grew “at a tremendous pace” with more than 1,600 titles available across different app stores and over 30 new apps launching daily.

The feature forms part of HTC celebrations marking the first anniversary of the commercial shipment its VR headset. HTC was the top vendor in China’s VR headset market in 2016 with an 18 per cent market share by volume, according to Canalys.

As part of the anniversary celebration, users will also be able to redeem a free copy of VR action game Arcade Saga, worth $19.99, and new customers will receive $100 off the Vive headset.

HTC opened the Viveport app store in 2016 with the aim of boosting usage of VR services covering art, education, fashion and music.