Oculus Rift started as a breakout Kickstarter success, little more than an incredible demo involving sparks flying in a spaceship. But it evolved into something much more: Oculus VR became the face of the future of virtual reality. The company’s eponymous headset has undergone a handful of revisions as it has simultaneously courted users and developers, promising an entirely new way to play games, watch movies, and ultimately interact with people both near and far. Yes, it involves strapping a huge object to your face that shields out the world around you, but it promised to be the true future of social interaction. We’ve seen the future of virtual reality with our own eyes. Though Oculus has yet to release a true consumer product, it’s already found a willing buyer in Facebook, which acquired the company in March of 2014 for $2 billion. This, Mark Zuckerberg said, might be the future — and not just the future of video games. Below, you’ll find the entire story of Oculus Rift, from its first public appearance through all of its development so far.
