Best Buy was one of the first retail partners that Oculus signed up to demonstrate its Rift virtual reality headset. It first started demoing the Rift back in May at select locations across the country but the retailer is now going all in. Best Buy is going to demo Oculus Rift headsets at 500 stores across the United States in time for the lucrative holiday season.
Bloomberg reports that Best Buy is going to have Oculus Rift headsets in 500 stores for the holiday season. The retailer sees virtual reality technology as a way to boost growth. It’s also running 200 demos for Sony’s PlayStation VR that’s due to be released in October. PS VR’s demos rotate between Best Buy locations in the country.
Oculus has already released its Rift headset so it’s available for purchase today. Customers who are impressed by the demo can instantly purchase one and that’s something that Best Buy will be counting on as it continues to build up the headset’s presence in its stores.
However, there’s also the issue of affordability. The headset costs $600 and that’s more than what a casual gamer will be willing to spend on the first-generation of a product. Most dedicated gamers will have purchased a unit already so it really comes down to the demos and their ability to convince people who have not yet experienced VR to spend $600 of their hard-earned money on the Oculus Rift at Best Buy.
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