Rift Starts Shipping Today -- "This Is a Historic Moment," Oculus Says

After years of development, the first Oculus Rift consumer model starts officially shipping today. People who backed the original Kickstarter campaign in 2012 are getting their units beginning today, Oculus said in a blog post, while orders placed through the Oculus website will ship later this week.

"This is a historic moment," Oculus said. "Soon, people all over the world will be experiencing fully immersive VR in their own homes."

If you preordered a Rift but haven't yet received a shipping confirmation email, hold tight, as Oculus said it's "working as fast as we can" to get the units out the door. People who preordered will receive an email when their order is being prepared (which is 1-3 weeks before it ships) and then a second email that will confirm payment and notify you that the device is on the way.

You can order a $600 Rift from the Oculus website today, but note that orders placed today are not expected to ship until July. Alternatively, bundles featuring "Oculus Ready" PCs and the headset are available from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and the Microsoft Store.

Rift launches today with 30 games, while more are coming in the future. Additionally, a variety of video and imaging apps are available. You can visit the Oculus website to learn more about Rift's launch offerings.

For more on the Rift, check out GameSpot's full review; an excerpt is available below.

"$600 is a lot to pay for a piece of gaming hardware. But Rift is different from a console or a new graphics card. Rift allows you to experience games in ways that we've only dreamed of up until now, and while it requires you to make a few compromises in the name of immersion, it's worth it," reviewer Peter Brown said. "Yes, you will look silly to anyone who watches you use it, and you will potentially feel uneasy after an intense VR session, but these issues can't take away from the fact that Rift delivers on its promise to enable more immersive and personal gaming experiences than we've ever seen before."

Rift's launch bundle comes with the headset, an Xbox One controller, an Oculus Remote, a sensor, and free copies of Eve: Valkyrie and Lucky's Tale if you preordered. The Touch controllers are coming later this year.

Following Rift in April will be the $800 HTC Vive, which was created in partnership with gaming company Valve. Beyond that, Sony will launch its $400 PlayStation 4 virtual reality device PlayStation VR in October.