Oculus Rift VR: Everything You Need to Know

Oculus VR's much anticipated Oculus Rift headset has officially launched. With the headset finally being delivered to those who preordered or backed it, there are a lot of questions the rest of you must be asking. That's why we've gone ahead and collected the details you need to know about the headset and all of our related content on it below.

The Review

"$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. 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."-- Peter Brown [Full review].

Our Oculus Rift Game Reviews (So Far)

Adr1ft--5/10

"Adr1ft has an emotional story hiding below its surface. But that surface is coated in laborious movement, forced survival mechanics, and an obtrusive user interface. The characters all have stories to tell, and by plot's end, they've reached profound realizations about their pasts, and how they need to change as they move forward. But unlike its characters, Adr1ft fails to find the meaning hidden among the wreckage."-- Mike Mahardy [Full review].

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Lucky's Tale--5/10

"Lucky's Tale seems like it would be a good fit for someone who doesn't normally play games and has mild curiosity in VR. Experienced players will certainly appreciate the great controls, but that's it. It's hard to get upset about a game that's technically free, but it's worth acknowledging that Lucky's Tale is too basic to get excited about, and not inventive enough to communicate the potential of VR."-- Peter Brown [Full review].

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Launch Games

Oculus Rift launched on March 28 with a lineup of 30 games. Below you can find a short list of some of the games that released alongside the headset. For a full list, you can check out our comprehensive gallery of all 30 Oculus Rift launch games.

• Eve: Valkyrie
• Albino Lullaby
• Chronos
• The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
• Project Cars
• Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
• Adventure Time: Magic Man's Head Games
• Pinball FX2 VR
• Defense Grid 2
• BlazeRush

A Closer Look

For a closer look of the Oculus Rift, check out our unboxing gallery with images of the headset, the Oculus Remote, an Xbox One controller, and much more. Unfortunately, the headset's Oculus Touch controllers are arriving at a later date.

Minimum PC Specifications

Oculus Rift requires a dedicated gaming PC to play. Below you can find the specifications needed to get the headset up and running. You can find more details in our article covering the PC specifications.

• Graphics Card: GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 290 or better
• CPU: Intel Core i5 4590 or greater
• RAM: 8 GB or more
• Video port: HDMI 1.3
• USB port: 2 USB 3.0 ports *Note: Oculus reccomends four USB ports (three 3.0 ports, one 2.0 port).
• Operating system: Windows 7 SP1 or newer

If Oculus Rift isn't your VR headset of choice, then it's worth noting that HTC Vive launches in April for $800, while the PlayStation VR is expected to launch in October for $400. For all the details on each VR headset, check out our in-depth feature comparing the differences between Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR.