Earlier this month virtual reality (VR) fans were disappointed to learn that the HTC Vive, an upcoming virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD) from the Taiwanese smartphone maker and Valve, had been delayed into April 2016, having originally been expected this month. Many have also wondered if its rival, the Oculus Rift, might meet the same fate, given that Oculus VR hasn’t provided an update on its vague Q1 2016 release window for some time. Fans can rest assured, however, that the Oculus Rift pre-orders are coming soon and the release date has not been delayed.
Oculus VR co-founder and Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey today confirmed as much over on Twitter. “Thrilled to share some news: Manufacturing continues to go well, and we are still on-target for an awesome Rift launch in Q1!” Luckey wrote. He later added: “Preorders are coming soon after new year. Enjoy a stress-free holiday, we won’t launch preorders without warning!” In the past Luckey has also confirmed that the price for the Oculus Rift will be revealed when those pre-orders launch, so expect this information in the coming weeks too.
This means that the Oculus Rift is still on track to be the first of the major PC and console-based HMDs to launch, with the HTC Vive following in April and Sony Computer Entertainment’s (SCE’s) PlayStation VR for PlayStation 4 still expected to hit in H1. It’s not the only major release Oculus VR has planned for next year, however, as it’s also set to release its position tracked controllers, Oculus Touch, in Q2. The Oculus Rift itself will come bundled with an Xbox One controller which will serve as the primary source of input until Oculus Touch’s arrival.
2016 is set to eclipse the large massive year that VR has had in 2015, then. For the latest updates on each and every HMD, keep reading VRFocus.
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