Ending speculation about a release window (and dashing any remaining hopes that the device would launch this year), Oculus VR today announced that the Oculus Rift will release in Q1 2016.
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After several development iterations, the company appears to have finally settled on a final consumer version fit for release within the first few months of next year. The announcement has not told us the hardware specifications just yet (there are two images of the device), but Oculus will begin revealing those soon.
"The Rift delivers on the dream of consumer VR with compelling content, a full ecosystem, and a fully-integrated hardware/software tech stack designed specifically for virtual reality," the post states. "It's a system designed by a team of extremely passionate gamers, developers, and engineers to reimagine what gaming can be.
"The Oculus Rift builds on the presence, immersion, and comfort of the Crescent Bay prototype with an improved tracking system that supports both seated and standing experiences, as well as a highly refined industrial design, and updated ergonomics for a more natural fit."
Full May Video Game Release Schedule For All Systems
The device will only ship to those with pre-orders in 2016, which is likely dictated by supply. There's no mention of when it will be available to the general public, possibly because Oculus cannot judge that at this time. This final version has ideally refined the problem areas in the development builds, but we'll have to wait and see what exactly those improvements are. Oculus says more will be revealed in coming weeks, including details about hardware, software, input, and made-for-VR games.
