If experiencing is believing when it comes to virtual reality, Oculus will soon put that notion to the test.
The Facebook-owned VR company shed some light on its retail initiative Monday, announcing that the Rift will be launched at 48 Best Buy stores on May 7 as part of “The Intel Experience.” Oculus said it expects to support more in-store Rift demos at more Best Buy stores this summer.
The company has also set up Oculus Live, an online form that lets interest consumers schedule Rift demos at Best Buy stores up to a month in advance.
“For many, this is a first chance to jump into truly immersive VR,” Oculus said.
Additionally, a “small number” of Rifts will be offered at select Best Buy stores starting May 7, with some online sales offered via Microsoft and Amazon starting May 6 at 9 a.m. PT.
“Quantities will be extremely limited while we catch up on Rift pre-orders,” the company said, while also acknowledging that “many pre-order customers are still waiting for their Rifts, so we’re offering those customers a chance to purchase Rift from retail instead – while keeping their pre-order benefits, like the EVE: Valkyrie Founder’s Pack and priority status for Touch pre-orders.”
Shipments of the Rift started in late March. Facebook has not announced unit sales, but doesn’t see VR having a material impact on revenue in 2016 as it starts the slow road to mainstream consumer adoption.
