Hands On Oculus Rift

Hands On Oculus Rift

Rift's transformation begins in the hardware itself. Compared to that first early prototype and later dev kits, the consumer Rift feels like it actually belongs on your face. It's lightweight, comfortable and refined.

This extends to the software. Rift's launch games are precisely, often beautifully rendered. The latency and pixelation issues of earlier Rifts are a distant memory. The games are smooth and stable, and each is delightful in its own way. Whereas at that GDC two years ago the experiences were short, laggy, yet still promising demos, Rift's 30 launch titles are, for the most part, fully realized games.

If your PC is up to spec - which will cost at least $1,000 (about £707, AU$1,331) if you buy one bundled with the $599/£499/AU$649 headset - then Oculus Rift opens up worlds that are unlike anything you've ever seen or experienced. The best part? It's all only going to get better.

The Oculus Rift headset is an elegant, sleek and, dare I say, stylish black brick you stick on your face. You may not look great wearing it, but the actual hardware can't be faulted for aesthetics.

It's a far cry from the rough, borderline shoddy construction of the very first prototype we tried only a few years ago.