Oculus' helmet is set to be released to the public after a rival
headset from HTC
Virtual reality firm Oculus VR says its much anticipated
headset, the Rift, will go on sale to consumers within the
first three months of 2016.
Until now, the firm had only sold "developer" editions that
were targeted at video games creators and did not represent
the Rift's final design.
Facebook bought Oculus VR for $2bn (£1.3bn) in 2014,
despite it not having released a commercial product.
The release date means that HTC's rival helmet should be the
first available.
The Taiwanese manufacturer has promised to sell its own
virtual reality headset, the Vive, to the public before the end of
the year.
Oculus' launch date could theoretically coincide with that of
PlayStation's Morpheus headset, which Sony has said will be
released at some point during the first six months of 2016.
Unlike Morpheus, both the Rift and the Vive are designed to
work with PCs rather than a video games console.
"All the hype around virtual reality grew up around Oculus over
the last two years, and not to come to market before what is
looking like a compelling proposition from HTC represents a
moderate surrendering of the initiative," commented Piers
Harding-Rolls, head of games at the IHS Technology
consultancy.
"But I don't think we're talking about it missing out on huge
sales volumes at what will be an early stage of demand for
VR."
The virtual reality helmets will allow wearers to see both
computer-generated and filmed images directly in front of their
eyes.
Users will be able to change their view by moving their heads.
The idea is to give them a greater sense of immersion, helping
owners feel as if they are actually within a video game or
interactive film or documentary, rather than just watching it.
Sony's Morpheus is designed to be paired with its
PlayStation 4 console
There was a previous attempt to popularise virtual reality
technology in the 1980s and 1990s, but the limitations and
high cost of the products limited demand.
However, after Oculus successfully raised $2.4m by crowd-
funding in 2013 to make new kit, there has been growing
interest in the idea.
Samsung already sells versions of Oculus' kit that use the
screens and motion sensors of its Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note
handsets.
But the forthcoming launch of headsets designed to work with
more powerful computers has raised expectations of what the
associated software will be capable.
"We've got these higher-end devices coming to market, but
what we haven't seen yet is fully-realised content," said Mr
Harding-Rolls.
"We've seen technical demos or the occasional short level. But
the E3 video games expo will be an opportunity for all the
stakeholders involved to show off content."
E3 will take place in Los Angeles in June.
Oculus says the Rift can be used by users when they are
sitting or standing up
For now, potential buyers are being teased with a promise that
the Rift has a "more natural fit" and an "improved tracking
system" than earlier models shown off by Oculus.
"In the weeks ahead, we'll be revealing the details around
hardware, software, input, and many of our unannounced
made-for-VR games and experiences coming," the firm said
on its blog .
"Virtual reality is going to transform gaming, film,
entertainment, communication, and much more.
Microsoft is working on its own headset that will allow new
ways to play video games
"E3 is just around the corner - this is only the beginning," it
added.
Facebook's challenge is that HTC's Vive is being released as
part of a tie-up with Valve, which is one of the leading video
game developers in its own right, as well as being the owner
of the best-selling PC games platform Steam.
Microsoft has yet to reveal whether it has virtual reality plans
for the Xbox.
The firm has, however, shown off an augmented reality
headset called the HoloLens, that it says will allow PC users
to see graphics superimposed over views of the real world.
The firm has yet to give it a release date.
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