Oculus Rift virtual reality now a reality

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Facebook's Oculus Rift began delivering its virtual reality headsets to consumers.

CALIFORNIA, USA (REUTERS) - Virtual Reality is a reality, though likely only for truly devoted gamers. Facebook's Oculus Rift VR headsets finally began arriving in the homes of consumers this week.

The $600 price tag and the expensive high powered computer needed to run the high-end graphics will keep it from being a truly mainstream product, according to Mashable's Lance Ulanoff.

Lance Ulanoff, chief correspondent and editor at large, Mashable, said: "They actually priced it in such a way to, I think, limit the audience because, if they made it a $99 product, all these people would be buying it, and they would be frustrated because their computers would not support it. So, they created a price that is a benchmark for entry into the exclusive club of enjoying virtual reality gaming."

That club will get a bit more crowded soon. Virtual reality headsets from HTC and Sony will arrive this fall, and they will have the motion controllers that the Rift lacks. Oculus says they are coming soon.

Samsung already offers the lower priced Samsung Gear. Developed jointly with Oculus, Gear uses a Samsung smartphone and only costs about $100. And those on really tight budget can buy Google Cardboard for $15.

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