December is proving to be a huge month for virtual reality (VR), with the newly launched Gear VR mobile-based head-mounted display (HMD) now settling in, the reveal of Rock Band VR, PlayStation VR’s recent showcase and yesterday’s announcement of a launch month for the HTC Vive. That leaves just one more HMD to get an update on; the Oculus Rift. Pre-orders for the consumer version of the kit were thought to be launching this month, but time to do so it running out. According to the kits creator, fans will have to ‘ask for a raincheck’ on when Oculus Rift pre-orders will open.
Oculus VR co-founder Palmer Luckey said as much on Twitter this week. When asked if pre-orders would open before Christmas Luckey replied: “Ask for a raincheck! Can’t say when they will open just yet.” Fans can hold out hope for news in the next two weeks, then, but Oculus VR itself isn’t making any promises about when you’ll finally be able to secure your own version of the Oculus Rift. When pre-orders are launched, however, we do know that the price of the kit will be revealed alongside it.
The Oculus Rift will be launching in Q1 2016, though a more specific date is also yet to be confirmed. This does now put it ahead of the launch of the HTC Vive in April 2016, and likely well ahead of the arrival of PlayStation VR at some point in H1 2016. The kit is set to be bundled in with an Xbox One controller that will be used for input with an initial slate of experiences. Later on in Q2, Oculus VR will launch its highly anticipated position-tracked controllers, Oculus Touch, which will allow players to essentially bring their hands into VR along with their head.
For the latest updates on the Oculus Rift and all other VR hardware, keep reading VRFocus.
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