Oculus Rift For General Public Launching Early 2016; Preorders Starting Later This Year

Oculus Rift virtual reality headset for general consumers will be launching in the first quarter of 2016, Oculus VR announced today. Preorders for the same will be starting later this year, the company added.

"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," Oculus said in the blog post announcing the launch window.

Facebook-owned Oculus plans to release more details regarding the Rift hardware, software and the catalogue of VR-specific games and "experiences" it has on tap for the headset in the coming weeks.

"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 to the Rift. Next week, we'll share more of the technical specifications here on the Oculus blog," the company mentioned on the blog.

Suddenly the VR market has picked up with Samsung launching its Galaxy-powered Gear VR headset earlier this month, and Sony planning to unveil its Project Morpheus headset next year.

However, Oculus's biggest rival could be HTC. HTC's Vive headset, which was unveiled at this year's Mobile World Congress, aims squarely at PC gaming with its StreamVR technology, just like the Oculus Rift, The Inquirer noted.