For years, the Oculus VR kit has been in development, perfecting its 3D virtual reality technology and receiving some heavy backing from Facebook, which invested $2 billion to properly fund it. But the real question is, when can we expect to buy it Well, according to Oculus VR CEO Brendan iribe, not too much longer now.
The Next Web reports that Iribe, speaking at the Web Summit 2014 in Dublin, explained that the consumer-ready version of the headset is “close,” and while he didn’t give an accurate time frame of when to expect it, the latest version of the headset, dubbed Crescent Bay, is “largely finalized for a consumer product.”
However, the packaging still has a ways to go. “We’re all hungry for it to happen,” explained Iribe. “We’re getting very close. It’s months, not years, away, but many months.”
An effective input device is still being sought for the headset, and certain equipment, like keyboards and mice, aren’t quite up to snuff yet, according to iribe. But it’s definitely a work in progress.
Iribe also discussed the changes to the company since Facebook acquired it earlier this year, with over 200 employees working on the headset, and a separate R & D division also providing a great deal of effort.
When asked about rivaling VR products from Samsung and other companies, Iribe only showed concern in them effectively delivering the experience. “We’re a little worried about bigger companies putting out products that aren’t ready,” he explained. “Disorientation and motion sickness is the elephant in the room. We’re encouraging big companies not to put out a product before it’s ready.”
As far as readying the Oculus for consumer launch, Iribe simply concluded, “We’re gone out there and set this bar and said, ‘We want to get this right.’ We don’t want it to be four or five years. We’re eager for this to happen.”
