sets ▁gave ▁Me ch W ar rior ▁ 2 ▁players ▁a ▁new ▁visual ▁perspective ▁of ▁seeing ▁the ▁battle field ▁from ▁inside ▁the ▁co ck pit ▁of ▁their ▁craft . ▁However , ▁these ▁early ▁head sets ▁failed ▁commer cially ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁limited ▁technology , ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁described ▁by ▁John ▁Car m ack ▁as ▁like ▁" looking ▁through ▁to ile t ▁paper ▁tub es ". ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁a ▁crow df und ing ▁campaign ▁began ▁for ▁a ▁V R ▁head set ▁known ▁as ▁O cul us ▁R ift ; ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁led ▁by ▁several ▁prominent ▁video ▁game ▁developers , ▁including ▁Car m ack ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁company ' s ▁C TO . ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁project ' s ▁parent ▁company ▁O cul us ▁V R ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁Facebook ▁for ▁$ 2 ▁billion . ▁The ▁final ▁consumer - orient ed ▁release ▁of ▁O cul us ▁R ift ▁began ▁sh ipping ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Sony ▁demonstrated ▁a ▁prototype ▁head set ▁for ▁Play Station ▁ 4 , ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁named ▁Play Station ▁V R . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Val ve ▁demonstrated ▁some ▁head set ▁pro tot ypes , ▁which ▁lead ▁to ▁a ▁partners hip ▁with ▁HT C ▁to ▁produce ▁the ▁V ive , ▁which ▁focus es ▁on ▁" room ▁scale " ▁V R ▁environments ▁that ▁users ▁can ▁naturally ▁navigate ▁within