The Oculus Rift has come a long way. A successful 2.4 million dollar Kickstarter campaign in 2012 won Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg's 2 billion dollar stamp of approval. Now, 4 years later, the first buyers and backers of Palmer Luckey's revolutionary VR project have received their headsets. As the first consumer-targeted VR headset, Oculus has helped pave the way for companies like Google, Sony and HTC to develop their own VR technology.
The first reviews are in, and just because the Oculus Rift is the first of its kind doesn't mean the you should invest just yet, especially with a price tag of $600 (plus another $1000 in equipment). Here’s what early reviewers have to say:
The Rift demonstrates flashes of a brilliant future where we can move freely through countless virtual worlds. But even after I fixed the sensor glitch, a week with the Rift showed me it still needs to dig itself out of some deep holes.
The high cost of buying and running high-end VR headsets makes them inaccessible to many people, and the Rift in particular is relentlessly focused on gaming. Within these limitations, though, the Rift makes a good case for seated VR, and it lays a solid foundation for what’s to come. The headset you can buy today is not Oculus’ most ambitious vision for virtual reality — but it’s a vision that Oculus has successfully delivered on.
The Rift headset feels both high-quality and unusually subtle, especially in contrast to almost everything else you’ll find connected to a gaming PC, a line of products which share a long tradition of truly gauche aesthetics. The Rift is, in a word, beautiful.
The only thing you need to ask yourself is what your personal tipping point is. Is it the Netflix or Hulu apps that are available on the Gear VR? Not on the Rift yet, sorry. A VR web browser? Not on the Rift yet, sorry. Social networks that let you share virtual sunsets with friends, or psychedelic meditation tools to unlock your third eye? Not on the—OK, you get it.
You simply must try the Oculus Rift. It’s breathtaking. I just wouldn’t buy one right now -- and there’s no reason you should feel the need to, either (especially with its archrival, the HTC Vive, also just days away). The longer you wait to buy, the better it will get. This is just day one for Oculus -- and for the future of virtual reality.
Similar to the first the first iPhone, which launched nearly 10 years ago with a crappy camera and no app store, the Oculus Rift is as revolutionary as it is still limited. If the mere potential of convincing virtual reality wasn’t enough to get you to lay down a $600 pre-order sight unseen (or more, if you needed a computer upgrade), you’re probably better off waiting for time and competition to drive the performance up and the price down.
After spending a week with the Oculus Rift, I have no doubt that its approach to virtual reality is indeed the real deal. It's well built and easy to set up, and there are already a few games and apps that'll make VR believers out of the most ardent naysayer. The only problem: It's $600 and requires a powerful gaming PC. Just as with every new technological milestone, it has the potential to change the world. But at this early stage, only a few can afford it.
Will you be investing in an Oculus Rift, or are you waiting for the HTC Vive or Playstation VR? Let us know in the comments below!
