Oculus Rift launch is ‘like a beta’

The arrival of Oculus Rift was akin to a video game test launch, says GAME.

The Rift was released via Oculus’ own website last week, although it was missing a couple of features – namely the special Oculus Touch controllers.

And GAME boss Martyn Gibbs has played down fears that the VR firm is avoiding traditional retail, by likening it to a beta.

Their phase one approach is very much, I’d go as far to say, beta-esque,” he told MCV.

What they are doing is utilising their own channels to get to a first wave of customers. But we have been engaged with them on that strategy for upwards of 18 months, so I wouldn’t read anything into that at all. You should think of it more as them doing a beta-type approach through their own website. Do I think that is a retail exclusion tactic? No.”

GAME is reporting significant interest in VR, and said the PlayStation VR announcement was ‘exceptionally strong’.

We saw very similar dynamics to when a new console is announced, actually,” he said, before adding that there may be stock shortages.

Do I ever think there will ever be a new console that comes out that will meet the demand? No.

And this is, for all intents and purposes, a console and a platform. I am not scaremongering, but we have all been around the block and we can see that stock for VR will be pretty tight.”