Oculus Rift developer kits are likely to appreciate in value significantly in the coming months, as the company has warned that component shortages mean that production has been halted.
The crowdfunded virtual reality headset has enjoyed considerable success since it was first unveiled, using $75 million in private funding to produce an improved model dubbed Crystal Cove with better head tracking and a higher resolution. Crystal Cove isn't commercially available, however, leaving users who want to get started early opting instead to buy the $400 Oculus Rift Developer Kit with its lower-resolution displays.
Those kits are going to be difficult to find, however, with the news that the company is halting production. 'Certain components used in the Oculus Rift developer kit are no longer being manufactured, meaning they are no longer available to us for production,' the company told its customers in a status update. 'As a result, we don't have the necessary materials to produce additional kits. We still have some stock available, but we're quickly running out. We are looking into alternate sources for the needed components, and we don't yet have a timeline for when additional units will be available. We'll be sure to keep everyone posted.'
The shortage means that plans to offer the developer kits to further countries - beyond North America, the EU, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Switzerland and Norway - are being scrapped until additional components can be sourced. 'We never expected to sell so many development kits and VR only made this much progress with the community's support and enthusiasm,' the company added. 'Even though we never wanted to sell out, it's a good problem to have'
The shortages will likely lead to a significant increase in the second-hand value of existing Oculus Rift Developer Kits.
The crowdfunded virtual reality headset has enjoyed considerable success since it was first unveiled, using $75 million in private funding to produce an improved model dubbed Crystal Cove with better head tracking and a higher resolution. Crystal Cove isn't commercially available, however, leaving users who want to get started early opting instead to buy the $400 Oculus Rift Developer Kit with its lower-resolution displays.
Those kits are going to be difficult to find, however, with the news that the company is halting production. 'Certain components used in the Oculus Rift developer kit are no longer being manufactured, meaning they are no longer available to us for production,' the company told its customers in a status update. 'As a result, we don't have the necessary materials to produce additional kits. We still have some stock available, but we're quickly running out. We are looking into alternate sources for the needed components, and we don't yet have a timeline for when additional units will be available. We'll be sure to keep everyone posted.'
The shortage means that plans to offer the developer kits to further countries - beyond North America, the EU, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Switzerland and Norway - are being scrapped until additional components can be sourced. 'We never expected to sell so many development kits and VR only made this much progress with the community's support and enthusiasm,' the company added. 'Even though we never wanted to sell out, it's a good problem to have'
The shortages will likely lead to a significant increase in the second-hand value of existing Oculus Rift Developer Kits.
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