Oculus Rift headset for video games on the way
The long awaited Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is coming. And in a surprising twist, it's coming to Xbox.
Oculus, bought by Facebook in 2012 for $2 billion, has struck a partnership with Microsoft, and plans to bring its VR tech to Xbox One games in the first part of 2016.
On Thursday, the company unveiled the production-ready version of the headset and revealed that when it hits the market next year, it will work with Xbox games such as "EVE: Valkyrie" and "Lucky's Tale." The compatibility is driven by upgrades in Microsoft's Windows 10, due at the end of next month, that brings Xbox One games to your computer.
"It'll allow you to stream Xbox One games through the headset, so you can play Xbox One games and use that Rift as the TV ... attached to your face," explained CNET senior editor Jeff Bakalar.
The headset won't hook up directly with the game console, but it will come with an Xbox One controller for playing existing games. And after the first run, it will come with a pair of motion-controlled controllers for new native games made to be played with the Rift.
A number of game developers have already signed up to create titles exclusively for the Oculus platform -- a "big bet," Bakalar said, given that the system isn't even out yet.