Oculus Rift nets another $16 million in funding

While the Oculus Rift headset might have been initially funded by Kickstarter, this doesn't mean that it's funding is done with. The virtual reality peripheral has now garnered a further $16 million from investment firms, bringing aboard new executives to the Oculus Rift board of directors.

The $16 (£10) million comes from investment firms Spark Capital and Matrix Partners, with the funds earmarked for “accelerating the development of virtual reality hardware,” with the eventual plan to create a full “virtual reality platform for consumers.”

“With the recent console announcements and the advent of stronger mobile technology, we're watching the video game industry keenly,” said one of the investors (via MCV). “In our estimation, Oculus is one of the only companies in the space with something completely new and disruptive. They have the right team, capital and vision to take virtual reality beyond console gaming and into everyday computing.”

It's certainly come a long way since John Carmack showed off that duct taped bodge-job at E3 2012. 

As you might expect, Oculus CEO Brenand Iribe was also happy, announcing that this was a new phase of growth for the company and that with the continued support of investors and the community, they could focus on creating the best virtual reality experience available.

A new version of the Oculus Rift headset was recently unveiled at E3, giving it a full HD display behind the goggles.

KitGuru Says: I still want to try out a set of these with that Omni treadmill. It'd be amazing for a survival horror game. 

Become a Patron!