Oculus VR, the virtual reality technology company, owned by Facebook, announced that consumers will now be able to pre-order the Rift headset through its website. The Oculus Rift costs $599 excluding tax and shipping.
According to the virtual reality technology company, it will start shipping the Rift headset in 20 countries on March 28.
In a statement, Oculus VR said, “People have been dreaming about immersive high-end VR for decades, and we’re thrilled to share Rift with you this March.” The device will also be available in select retailers in limited locations in April.
The Oculus Rift works by taking advantage of how the human brain perceives the world. The company projects two images through the lenses of the headset to create a stereoscopic, 3D image to create a virtual reality. A tracking system follows the movement of the user’s head and changes the projected 3D image accordingly to provide a feeling of immersion.
What’s inside the Oculus Rift package?
According to Oculus VR, the Rift headset has built-in headphones, mic, and sensor. The package also included a Xbox One controller, which is perfect for different games such as the Lucky’s Tale—the VR platform developed by Playful. The company included the game for free in the Rift package.
In addition, the company also included the Oculus Remote, which was designed to make the VR experience simple and intuitive to navigate. Oculus VR explained that users can browse the Oculus store, explore video content in Oculus Video, or experience numerous VR games and entertainment using the remote.
Furthermore, Oculus VR said consumers who will pre-order the Rift headset will also secure a place in line for the Touch controllers later this year.
Oculus VR includes access to compelling content
Oculus VR said all Rift pre-orders include access to EVE: Valkyrie through the Founder’s Pack that provides exclusive in-game content, founder status in the game, and many other perks.
The company is yet to reveal all the details included in the EVE: Valkyrie Founder’s Pack.
According to Oculus VR, Lucky’s Tale and EVE; Valkyrie are just two of the dozens of full-length titles included with the launching of the Rift headset. The company said more than 100 titles including Minecraft will be available for Rift by the end of this year.
“We’ve been working with some of the top developers in the industry to create incredible, new made for VR games and experiences. In 2016 alone, Oculus Studios will introduce more than 20 games that are coming exclusively to Oculus this year, including Rockband VR by Harmonix, Edge of Nowhere by Insomniac, and The Climb by Crytek,” according to the company.
Oculus VR recommended PC system
Users should check if their computers are Oculus-ready. The company suggested the following PC systems for users to enjoy the full Rift experience.
- graphics card: NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD R9 290 equivalent or greater
- processor: Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater
- memory: 8GB+ RAM
- output: Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output
- input: 3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 port
- operating system: Windows 7 SP1 64 bit or newer
According to Oculus VR, users can check if their PCs meet the recommended specification using the Oculus compatibility tool. Furthermore, the company said an Oculus Ready PC and a Rift for a special bundle price of $1,499 will be available for pre-order in February.
