For the past few years, Oculus has paved the road for virtual reality. In its wake, various companies created their own version of a VR headset, peripherals, and even content for VR. Through it all, Oculus has stayed on top of the competition, but there was no word on when the final version would be available to everyone. Until now.
Oculus just announced that the Rift will be available in the first quarter of 2016, with pre-orders coming "later this year."
Oculus also released two new photos of the final design. It's not a big departure from the Crescent Bay prototype, but it's enough to distinguish it from past iterations. The front plate has a solid black finish with the sensors no longer visible. Other than that, the only noticeable change is the curvier edges to round out the front plate.
Oculus said the final version also improves a few other features such as tracking (for both standing and seated experiences) and ergonomics. But a few things still remain; for example, the attached headphones are still there, as is the slider at the bottom of the Rift used to adjust the lenses.
With the pre-order window approaching soon, Oculus is set to release more details about the final version of Rift in the coming weeks and months. Details include hardware specs, software, and more content coming to the Rift. The company also teased its next appearance at E3 next month, and you can bet we'll be there to see what it has in store for us for the next few months.
The company has come a long way since its original Kickstarter campaign. It found a new owner in the form of Facebook and stepped into the mobile VR space by partnering with Samsung to create the Gear VR. Oculus has been the attraction of many trade shows over the past few years, but with a release window finally determined, the clock is set for the rest of the public to get their hands on the future that is virtual reality.
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