The Daily Journal of Commerce reports that virtual reality headset maker, Oculus VR, has solidified a deal to lease 51,000 square feet of space in SoDo, representing an entire floor of the Stadium Innovation Center. This move positions the Irvine, California-based company to expand in Puget Sound, which already houses an expansive list of virtual and augmented reality developments. Though the VR gaming space is still in its early innings, engineers at HTC's Creative Labs offices are nearby in Pioneer Square, collaborating with Valve in Bellevue on the HTC Vive virtual reality headset. Microsoft is working on the HoloLens device. Burgeoning startups, such as Envelop VP and Pluto VR, are in on the game as well.
This announcement precedes tomorrow's much-anticipated launch of the Oculus Rift, a consumer headset scheduled for release in "early 2016." For those not invited to the special event in San Francisco there will be live-streaming video of the event online at 10am PST. The company's website has a countdown clock to the event with a teaser shot of the new model. So soon we'll see what Facebook's $2 billion acquisition of the company last year has bought them.
