The Oculus Rift pre-orders are live and once again, and a good part of the internet is kind of in flames. The future of the gaming industry comes at a steep price – $599. Never mind the fact that the Oculus Rift also demands high-end PCs to run. But, is virtual reality really the next phase of evolution for the gaming industry? Some seem to think so. Others… not so much.
Some people are upset.
599 dollars to have a TV strapped on to my head causing nausea, vomiting and probably partial blindness. No thanks. #OculusRift
— Daniel Major (@GuyFawkesRetro) January 6, 2016
Sorry @Oculus I love you but £500 is just too much to drive mass adoption, will wait for a price drop. #VirtualReality #OculusRift
— Jay Britton (@JayBritton) January 6, 2016
Others are a bit more hyperbolic. But pictures and gifs always score bonus points.
https://twitter.com/DetectiveX/status/684785488612294656
https://twitter.com/graphure/status/684780163805097985
And some are outright skeptical of virtual reality as a whole.
I hope 10 years from now on #ILoveThe2010s they discuss he amazing hype and demise of the #OculusRift
— Rotten Noggin 🧠🗑 (@ABleedingCorpse) January 7, 2016
Shakespeare once said, “Brevity is the soul of wit.”
Nope. #OculusRift
— Tom (@Pouting_Tom) January 6, 2016
Some are forced to face reality.
I really wanted to try the #OculusRift, but at $599, I guess I'm going to be stuck in the boring old real world where bills are a reality.
— Cory Hertenstein (@CoryHertenstein) January 6, 2016
#OculusRift won't be cheap at launch. $599 or €699. Add that to cost of fire breathing PC to run VR content and things get costly.
— Marc Cieslak (@MarcCieslak) January 6, 2016
Developers even have a hard time stomaching the price point.
https://twitter.com/havocbean/status/684844730362925056
If the creator of Minecraft can’t afford it…
I wish I could afford an Oculus Rift 🙁
— notch (@notch) January 6, 2016
The Oculus Rift has some in a poetic mood.
The Oculus Rift
Is an opulent gift
Thus shoppers of thrift
Are properly miffed #OculusRift— Gav (Miracle Of Sound) (@miracleofsound) January 6, 2016
Others in a more playful mood.
$600 for an Oculus Rift? Insane. For $600 you could buy 600 $1 hot dogs and just roll around in them for the ultimate 3D hot dog experience.
— Brian Altano 🍕 (@agentbizzle) January 6, 2016
I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of F5 keys suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. #OculusRift #VR
— Scott McCutchen (@Soverance) January 6, 2016
The original #OculusRift. 😂 pic.twitter.com/8UznlySpsj
— Newegg (@Newegg) January 6, 2016
But, Oculus Rift still has its supporters.
Pre-ordered my #OculusRift ✔️
— Troy Osinoff 🕺 (@yo) January 6, 2016
https://twitter.com/StrafeCS/status/684838738187268096
https://twitter.com/StefKeegan/status/684777689459331073
Oculus has the same price than a Note4 and less than an iPhone. But it´s diferent, is the key to another world @oculus #oculusrift
— Edgar Martin Blas Mendez (@Edgar_Martin_B) January 6, 2016
Regardless of what the rest of the internet thinks, what do you think about the Oculus Rift? Is it really the next step of gaming evolution? Or is it destined to be damned to obscurity?
The Oculus Rift is the first VR headset to deliver a release date and price point. But, with PlayStation VR and the HTC Vive on the way, how will Oculus Rift handle the competition? Showing their cards this early may certainly spell bad news for Oculus Rift, giving Sony and HTC the ability to one-up their product. 2016 has just started and its already shaping up to be an interesting year for virtual reality. Is 2016 truly the year of VR?
More News:
- What Oculus Rift’s Price Means for Players and Its VR Competition
- Gamer Gets His Low-End Windows Tablet to Run Skyrim
- Oculus Rift Day One Stock Sells Out Almost Instantly