Over the past three years the prospect of true virtual reality (VR), once limited to science fiction, has edged closer to a reality. Today, the VR community is on the brink of consumer release, with head-mounted displays (HMDs) like the Gear VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR all set to launch over the next 8 months. The Oculus Rift’s launch is of particular interest given that it’s the HMD largely attributed to the VR revival. But, even if this HMD itself fails, creator Oculus VR believes that ‘Pandora’s Box has been opened’, and thus there’s no stopping the arrival of VR.
Oculus Rift creator and Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey said as much in a recent interview with CCN Money. When talking about the Oculus Rift’s chances of success he said: “the Pandora’s Box has been opened,” referring to VR as whole. “People now understand that good virtual reality that tricks your subconscious is possible,” Luckey added. “They understand that it’s within the realm of possibility to make something that is as real as the real world. If enough people know that, we’re never going to stop. We are going to make this happen.”
With the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR all yet to receive specific launch dates and prices it’s hard to tell exactly how each HMD will perform in the coming weeks and month. The Gear VR, meanwhile, will be launching worldwide this month for just $99 USD, though does require one of the latest Samsung smartphones in order to run. The Oculus Rift, meanwhile, will cost at least $350, with an all-in price that includes a PC capable of running the device also said to be around $1,500.
VRFocus will continue to follow each and every VR HMD, reporting back with the latest updates on them.
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