Final version of Oculus Rift is now shipping, but only to developers

Oculus recently sent out an email to developers creating software for the company’s upcoming virtual reality headset, stating that the SDK 1.0 version of the Oculus Rift is set to be sent out soon.

This means that the often-delayed and long-awaited Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is complete and ready to be released. It looks like only developers with plans to release Oculus Rift launch titles in the first-quarter of 2016 will get their hands on SDK 1.0, with other virtual reality content creators following suit shortly after.

Here is a full look at the statement sent via email:

Rift SDK 1.0 Shipping to Developers with Final Rift Hardware

Rift SDK 1.0 is shipping this week to developers with early builds of final Rift hardware.

If you’re shipping a Rift title in Q1, you’ll need early access to Rift hardware and new platform features to finalize your game or application. The Rift SDK 1.0 and runtime include features tied to the consumer product, so we’ve currently limited the release to developers putting final touches on launch titles.

If you’re planning a launch title and don’t yet have hardware, you can now upload a preview of your app through the Oculus submission tool, and we’ll be in touch with next steps.

We’re shipping more Rift hardware out to developers every week in the run up to launch. In the meantime, DK2 and SDK 0.8 continue to be the right platform for early Rift development — you only need SDK 1.0 if you’re imminently shipping.

We’re looking forward to seeing your VR experiences on Rift when it launches in Q1!

— The Oculus Team

Facebook and Oculus’ Rift VR headset seems set to be the second mass consumer virtual reality device to hit the market, following the release of the consumer version of Samsung’s GearVR. However, a specific release date for the device hasn’t been released yet.

In other VR related news, HTC’s Vive was recently delayed until April 2016.

[source]UploadVR[/source]