Oculus announces free 'Kickstarter Edition' Rifts for backers of original dev kit

Oculus will be opening pre-orders for the retail version of the Rift virtual reality headset this Wednesday, but the company's founders have a special reward for enthusiasts who purchased the original development kit through Kickstarter in 2012: a free retail "Kickstarter edition" Oculus Rift.

"As a small token of our appreciation for your support, all Kickstarter backers who pledged for a Rift development kit will get a free Kickstarter Edition Oculus Rift! And like all Rift pre-order purchasers, you’ll receive a bundled copy of Lucky’s Tale and Eve: Valkyrie," the company's letter to Kickstarter backers states.

Oculus will be sending out a survey "before February 1," and you'll need to live in one of the 20 countries in which the hardware is launching. "For those who don’t live in one of those 20 countries, we’re working on an alternative, and you can let us know your preference in the form," Oculus explains.

Oculus' Kickstarter was backed by 9,522 individuals, but "only" 6,955 backers paid enough to get the development kit. The company has yet to announce the hardware's final pricing or release date.