'Minecraft' getting a 3D version through Oculus Rift, expected to arrive in 2016
"Minecraft" fans will be able to better experience the game soon as reports say the sandbox independent video game will be heading its way to the Oculus Rift. According to Telegraph UK, the game will be available in the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset next year, along with other games like "Bullet Train," "Land's End," "Gunjack," and "Battlezone."
And since Oculus Rift is expected to go on sale around Spring 2016, the 3D gameplay of the "Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition" will also be available around that time. This information was confirmed by Palmer Luckey, inventor and co-founder of the Oculus Rift, who spoke during the Oculus Connect 2 developer conference in Hollywood. He surprised attendees with the news but did not divulge yet when it will specifically come around. But "Minecraft" will be made available on both the Windows store and Oculus store.
Through this update, it will permit players to traverse the blocky environment with the use of the Rift headset and an Xbox One controller. Neurogadget noted that this isn't the first time though that the game will be connected to a Virtual Reality device. Back in June, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2015, developers of "Minecraft" connected to Microsoft's HoloLens virtual reality headset which turned the two-dimensional game into three-dimensional.
This can imply that the developers of the game are looking into bringing "Minecraft" to more than just one specific VR device. In fact, as Sony is in the works with their PlayStation VR technology, it won't be long until the block-building game will be playable in 3D on PS3, PS4 and even PS Vita.
At this point of time, the only Oculus VR available are prototype headsets intended for video games developers. Fans will just have to bear with the waiting part by playing "Minecraft," which just received an update regarding the "Doctor Who" skins.