The consumer version of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is inching closer to launch, CEO Brendan Iribe said this week.
During the Web Summit 2014 in Dublin, the Oculus VR chief told the crowd that the latest version, dubbed Crescent Bay, is "largely finalized for a consumer product."
"We're all hungry for it to happen," he said, as reported by The Next Web. "We're getting very close. It's months, not years away. But many months."
As the tech blog pointed out, however, input devices are the biggest issue right now. Current virtual reality headsets use standard input devices like game controllers; an Xbox 360 controller for the Oculus Rift or the PlayStation Move for Sony's Project Morpheus, for example.
But keyboards, mice, gamepads, and gesture control aren't really going to cut it, according to Iribe, though perhaps Oculus's acquisition of Carbon Design—the team behind the Xbox 360 controller—will help on that front, The Next Web noted.
Since Facebook purchased Oculus VR for $2 billion, Iribe said the gaming company has changed—for the better. Now an independent subsidiary, it has more than 200 employees (up from 75) and operates a separate research and development division.
In September, Oculus introduced its latest prototype, the Crescent Bay, which features a much lighter headset, with new LEDs integrated into the rear for 360-degree tracking. It also comes with a higher refresh rate, a greater resolution, and, for the first time, built-in headphones.
"We've gone out there and set this bar and said, 'We want to get it right,'" Iribe said, according to The Next Web. "We don't want it to be four or five years. We're eager for this to happen."
Oculus VR did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.
For more, see PCMag's preview of the Oculus Rift Development Kit (DK2). Also check out a video of senior citizens reacting to the Oculus Rift.