Oculus VR, the company behind the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset, has revealed that it is ‘close to locking down’ a much anticipated consumer version of its device. The company’s Nate Mitchell confirmed as much, revealing that the eventual release will also double as another developer kit so that consumers can buy the product and both play and create titles with it. Mitchell also stressed that further improvements to the device will start to come much faster in the future.

“And we’re actually very close to locking down a consumer spec right now,” Mitchell told Develop as part of its VR Week. “This is the last development kit before the consumer product – although one of our goals is to have the consumer product double as a development kit as well. So you can buy a Rift and play with it, or develop with it. We are getting close and we’re pretty deep into that process. We’re going to get a little feedback from the community on DK2, but it’ll have to be fast and furious at the beginning because then we’re going to lock down and probably head into launch. We’re close.

“However, we are just scratching the surface. It will get much better from here. V1 will be like the dawn of V1, and it will get so much better so quickly, just like it has over the last year and a half. I think that’s what’s super exciting.”

Oculus VR revealed its DK2 set at last month’s Game Developers Conference. Pre-orders are already underway, with the kit expcted to ship in July 2014. Mitchell didn’t mention if the consumer version of the device might be ready in time for the year’s end, although it certainly seems like we’ll at least know more by then. VRFocus will continue to follow all things Oculus Rift and bring you the latest.