During E3 2013, we had the opportunity to check out a new 1080p prototype of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, and needless to say, it was pretty amazing. But the big question is when the average consumer can expect to purchase the final version. Unfortunately, there's still no set date, but Oculus has taken a huge step toward release with a major round of funding.

Back in 2012, Oculus managed to raise over $2.4 million through Kickstarter, smashing its funding goal ten times over. The company has just completed another financial milestone, raising $16 million. The surge of capital should help Oculus bring the consumer version of Rift to market."There are still many challenging problems to solve," said Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe. "But with the support of these great investment partners, and our passionate community, we will continue to hire the brightest minds and stay laser focused on delivering the very best virtual reality platform possible."The current, 720p Oculus Rift development kit is available for $300. Most recently, Rift support was added to Valve's FPS classic, Half-Life 2.

Matt Clark is a freelance writer covering the world of videogames, tech, and popular culture. Follow him on Twitter @ClarkMatt and MyIGN at Matt_Clark