Ahead of E3, Microsoft Announces Xbox One - Oculus Rift Partnership
Microsoft's annual presentation at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles is happening tomorrow, but the company already announced some big gaming related news last week.
The tech giant has just inked a deal with the Facebook owned virtual reality company Oculus VR. Under the terms of the new agreement all Oculus Rifts will come bundled with Microsoft's Xbox One game controller. Furthermore Xbox One owners will be able to stream games and other content onto the Rift, and enjoy it in a virtually rendered cinema setting.
Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer showed off the new technology at a Windows 10 event last week. A short video demo shows a gamer playing Forza Motorsport 5 with the Rift enabled. Using the Rift's VR technology, the game is shown being played in a home theatre like set up with a huge wall mounted screen. The effect will give gamers the thrill of playing on a display several times bigger than what they probably have in their living room.
In a statement made on Xbox's official website, Spencer talks about the new partnership with Oculus:
"We're thrilled to be working closely with the team at Oculus. Their ground breaking work in virtual reality is inspiring, and the Oculus Rift delivers a truly next-generation VR experience, we at Xbox are passionate about giving gamers the opportunity to play when and where they want. I can't wait to see the incredible games created for the Rift, and we are proud to be part of the experience."
Virtual Reality will no doubt be a huge talking point at E3 this year, with both Microsoft and rival Sony investing heavily in VR technologies. Sony has already said their presentation will give significant attention to their still in development Morpheus headset.
The final retail version of the Oculus Rift is expected in stores in early 2016.
