VRHow / Headsets / Oculus Rift DK1
Oculus Rift DK1: development-kit history and specs
Looking for the historical background? Explore our documented history of the Oculus Rift DK1, covering its launch milestones, ecosystem development, and industry legacy.
What the DK1 was
The 2012 Oculus Kickstarter described its goal as building Rift development kits and getting them into developers’ hands quickly. Its $300 “Early Rift Developer Kit” reward included the kit, DOOM 3 BFG, and access to the Oculus Developer Center, SDK, documentation, samples and engine integrations. That is the clearest historical evidence for the DK1’s intended audience: software and game developers, including indie teams—not ordinary consumer retail buyers.
Verified historical record
| Item | DK1 record |
|---|---|
| Announced | August 1, 2012 |
| Release record | March 29, 2013 |
| Historical price | $300 headset-only retail record |
| Display | Single LCD; 1280 × 800 total, reported as 640 × 800 per eye |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Tracking | 3DoF rotational tracking; no positional tracking |
| Field of view | About 90° horizontal; 110° diagonal is marked an estimate |
| Connection and platform | PC-powered; DVI-D, single-link HDMI and Mini-B USB |
| Weight | 380 g without headstrap |
There is a timing conflict worth preserving: the Kickstarter reward listed an estimated December 2012 delivery for the $300 early kit, while the later hardware record gives March 29, 2013 as the DK1 release date. These may describe different fulfillment stages; this page does not collapse them into one date.
Legacy and caveats
The DK1 is discontinued and its original software ecosystem should be treated as historical. The archived Oculus/Facebook repository still identifies itself as “Oculus Rift Development Kit 1” and publishes firmware, schematics and mechanical files, useful evidence that this was a development platform. The figures above are a restrained historical record, not a promise that a second-hand unit will work with a modern PC or application. No current availability, modern driver support or performance claim is asserted here.
Sources
- Oculus Kickstarter: Step Into the Game — development-kit purpose, $300 reward, SDK access and estimated delivery.
- VRcompare: Oculus Rift DK1 full specification — release record, price, display, tracking, connections and dimensions; the site labels some values as estimates and disclaims that its table may not be fully correct.
- Road to VR: The Oculus Rift DK2, In-Depth Review and DK1 Comparison — specialist historical comparison confirming the DK1’s 1280 × 800 panel, IMU-only versus DK2 positional tracking, and 380 g weight.
- Facebook Archive: RiftDK1 repository — archived Oculus Rift DK1 firmware, schematics and mechanical files.