Oculus Rift release window confirmed

Oculus has finally announced a release date for virtual reality powerhouse Oculus Rift.

The company says that the headset will ship to consumers in Q1 2016, meaning it could arrive at the same time as Sony’s Project Morpheus, which is currently due out in the first half of 2016. Steam’s Vive, meanwhile, is due out before the end of the year.

Since the earliest days of the Oculus Kickstarter, the Rift has been shaped by gamers, backers, developers, and enthusiasts around the world,” the company blog said.

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.

Virtual reality is going to transform gaming, film, entertainment, communication, and much more. If you’re interested in building a next-generation VR game or application, everything you need to start developing for the Rift is available at the Oculus Developer Center.”

The company also hinted at more details to follow at E3 in June.

Oculus had recently suggested that a 2015 release for the hardware was looking unlikely.