Oculus Rift virtual reality headset will set you back about $1,500

TORONTO – Gaming enthusiasts will have to fork out a pretty penny to get their hands on the long-awaited Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. The Facebook-owned company has revealed the headset and the computer needed to run it will cost about US$1,500.

Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe revealed the prospective price for the first time during Re/code’s annual Code Conference in California Wednesday.

“We are looking at an all-in price, if you have to go out and actually need to buy a new computer and you’re going to buy the Rift … at most you should be in that $1,500 range,” said Iribe.

The headset, expected to go on sale sometime next year, is designed to transport users into a virtual world. When you turn your head, the device’s video screen seamlessly responds to the motion, so it feels like you’re actually peering around in the virtual world.

Iribe added the company hopes to lower the price to under US$1,000 over time.

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The US$1,500 price tag is specifically for those who don’t own a computer capable of handling Oculus’ software and equipment.

According to estimates from gaming publication Polygon, the computer needed to run Oculus’ headset would cost around US$1,200 alone. That means the virtual reality headset itself would cost around US$300.

The company has not yet announced a standalone price for the headset itself.

Oculus isn’t the only company working on a virtual reality gaming system.

Samsung released its Gear VR headset late last year, which is also powered by Oculus technology. The $200 headset pairs with a Galaxy Note 4 smartphone to run virtual reality content.

In March of last year, Sony unveiled a prototype virtual reality headset to be used in conjunction with its PlayStation 4 video game console. The adjustable device is codenamed Project Morpheus and features a head-mounted display with 1080p resolution and a 90-degree field of view. Sensors built into the headset can track a wearer’s head movements in concert with a PS4 camera.

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Then in January, Microsoft unveiled HoloLens – an augmented reality headset that allows wearers to interact with and see 3D digital holograms in their own environment. Unlike Oculus Rift or Project Morpheus, Hololens allows wearers to move around and manipulate the graphics within the world using gestures, but they don’t feel like they are in their own environment.