Oculus virtual reality headset looking for funding on Kickstarter
Most "virtual reality" helmets tend to be disappointing to say the least, but the Oculus Rift has gained a bit of buzz this year. Developer Palmer Luckey is now looking for funding via Kickstarter. "The reason we're using Kickstarter is so that we can get these dev kits into the hands of developers as fast as possible," Luckey says in the pitch video above. "That way they can try it for themselves and start integrating support into their games and engines."
The crowd-funding route has worked already, with the project securing more than double its $250,000 goal as of this writing. Limited prototype dev units – at $275 each – have all been claimed, leaving the $300 level as the cheapest route to get your hands on the hardware, which includes a copy of the upcoming, Rift-enabled revamp, Doom 3 BFG. In a related endorsement, id Software's John Carmack called the device "the best VR demo probably the world has ever seen."
That price is likely higher than what consumers will eventually pay for everything once the software is optimized and the design is finalized. The dev kits are set to be shipped out in December, so we could see a final product as soon as next year.
