The finished version of the Oculus Rift headset will go on sale early next year, amid a flurry of virtual reality hardware launches. Oculus VR has been experimenting with the design of its headset since it won Kickstarter funding to get a prototype out to developers in 2012. Now the company says it's show time.
"The Rift delivers on the dream of consumer VR with compelling content, a full ecosystem, and a fully-integrated hardware/software tech stack designed specifically for virtual reality," the company claims in a blog post announcing that the headset will go on sale in Q1. "It’s a system designed by a team of extremely passionate gamers, developers, and engineers to reimagine what gaming can be."
The company says the final design of the headset will be based on the Crescent Bay prototype that was unveiled earlier this year. The headset includes an "improved tracking system that supports both seated and standing experiences, as well as a highly refined industrial design, and updated ergonomics for a more natural fit", Oculus claims.
The company is also teasing the prospect of major new games announcements. "In the weeks ahead, we’ll be revealing the details around hardware, software, input, and many of our unannounced made-for-VR games and experiences coming to the Rift," the blog adds.
Whilst the concept of a VR headset was something of a novelty when the Oculus Rift won $2.5 million of funding from almost 10,000 Kickstarter backers in 2012, it now faces stiff competition from formidable rivals. Sony's VR headset for the PlayStation 4, Project Morpheus, will be released early next year, whilst HTC and Valve's Vive headset is due out before the end of this year.
Whether there's enough appetite for VR headsets among gamers to sustain three competing models is debatable. Games developers will also be torn between the three platforms, potentially splintering what might already be considered a niche market.
Oculus hasn't revealed how much its Rift headset will cost, although the company has previously suggested it wanted to charge no more than $400 (£260) for the headset - which is roughly the same cost as a new Xbox One console.
