Facebook's $2 billion baby Oculus Rift finally started shipping headsets to consumers today, a much-needed move to make virtual reality more mainstream. The development will likely benefit agencies and brands who have spent the past couple of years pouring millions of dollars into creating immersive, 360-degree video clips.
But the technology comes at a price. A headset alone costs $600 from retailers like Amazonor through Oculus' own site and also requires consumers to buy a pricey PC, which costs an additional $1,000 to $2,000.
Oculus is only one of a handful of VR headsets expected to become available to consumers this year. HTC's Vive will roll out next week for $799 and Sony plans to release a PlayStation VR headset later this year. Samsung's also making a big marketing push for its Milk VR by partnering with companies like Vice and creating ads featuring spokesman Lil Wayne.
Here are a handful of reactions to what today's development means for brands.