Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Gaming
  4. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Oculus Rift will cost at least $300 when it releases in Q1 2016

Add as a preferred source on Google

Yesterday, Oculus had its big event called Oculus Connect, where it took to the stage in front of a room full of developers and talked about the future of the Rift. It announced all kinds of things, including a platform for the Rift, further details on Oculus Touch, its upcoming motion controllers, and much more.

But one detail that was conspicuously absent from the event was the price of the headset. Well, after the event, PC Gamer caught up with VP of Product Nate Mitchell and tried to dig up some more info. While he didn’t reveal a final price, he did say that it will cost “at least $300.”

Recommended Videos

As for what will be in the box for that price, consumers will get the headset, sensor, and Xbox One controller. If one thinks of the Oculus Rift as a console or a platform, even though it’s technically a peripheral, than a price tag of over $300 puts it slightly below that of the two big players in the game console space, which makes sense. But again, consumers will need a PC that costs nearly $1,000, or of course more, to make it all go.

Of course, we don’t know exactly how much more than $300 the consumer Oculus Rift will be, but last year Oculus did say that headsets would be in the range of $200 to $400, which aligns broadly with this latest bit of information.

Related Offer: See Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and desktop Bundles here

Interestingly, while we know that the device is coming in Q1 2016, Oculus isn’t taking pre-orders for it, which is shocking in an industry that begs for pre-orders around every corner. On this Mitchell said, “there isn’t a big reason to take your money too far ahead of the device.” He compared it to Apple’s model of announcing and releasing products, where consumers don’t have to hand over a large sum of money and wait months for something to be delivered.

Unfortunately, no price range was given for the Oculus Touch controller, which is scheduled to ship sometime in Q2, well after the headset itself hits store shelves.

Dave LeClair
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Dave LeClair has been writing about tech and gaming since 2007. He's covered events, hosted podcasts, created videos, and…
Acer’s Swift Air 14 is a peppy MacBook Neo rival with some cool upgrades and a $699 ask
Computer, Electronics, Laptop

The race to build the next great affordable laptop is heating up, and Acer thinks it has a strong contender. The company today unveiled the Swift Air 14, a thin-and-light Windows laptop that combines a premium design, AI-ready hardware, and impressive battery claims for a starting price of just $699.

At a time when even mainstream laptops are creeping toward four-figure price tags, Acer’s latest machine feels refreshingly straightforward. It’s aimed at students, remote workers, and anyone who wants a laptop that looks and feels expensive without draining their bank account. The Swift Air 14 is powered by Intel’s new Core Series 3 processors and delivers up to 19 hours of battery life. That’s the sort of endurance that could realistically get many users through a full workday and beyond without scrambling for a charger.

Read more
Google Drive can now batch-scan your documents and spare you a few other frustrations, too
The automated scanning experience runs entirely on your device, without sending anything to Google’s servers.
Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

Scanning documents from a phone has always been a frustrating experience, especially on Android smartphones. You’ve to scan one page at a time, blurry captures you don't notice until after, or accidentally hovering over the same page twice; all these issues bother users on a day-to-day basis. 

Well, Google Drive's new document scanner redesign fixes all three problems at once. Announced by Sameer Samat, the President of Android Ecosystem at Google, the feature is now rolling out for Android users.

Read more
Microsoft wants Copilot to answer all your health-related questions and store your medical records
Copilot Health is Microsoft's most personal AI feature yet. It is built with 250 physicians, and explicitly designed not to replace your doctor.
Page, Text, Business Card

Copilot Health is now in preview, and Microsoft’s ambition for it is clear, an AI assistant that knows your health history, understands your fitness data, and can help you make sense of your medical records, all in one place. 

Copilot Health is a dedicated space within the Copilot chatbot at copilot.microsoft.com/health where you can get answers to your health-related questions. 

Read more