Oculus has struck a huge blow announcing a packed-in game with every pre-order of its upcoming Rift virtual reality headset. CCP’s Eve Valkyrie, a space dogfighting spin-off of its popular space sim, will be free for anyone that gets in at the ground floor.

EVE Valkyrie (starring Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff) will premiere on Oculus’ platform, and given that the Rift is likely to be first to market and Oculus’ co-publishing deal, that makes sense. Eve Valkyrie was announced in its current form since 2013, and before that was a tech demo known as Eve VR.

Rift is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2016. HTC recently cleared up confusion over the Vive launch, announcing an anticipated April release. Sony’s entry, PlayStation VR, is currently slated for release in the first half of 2016.

Specific release timing and pricing for the Rift are as yet unannounced. However, Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe suggests that a new, Rift-compatible PC plus the Rift itself will be attainable for under $1,500.

For more on Eve Valkyrie, check out our previous coverage. You can also read more about The Year of VR in our current issue.

Our Take

Pack-in games aren’t entirely common anymore, and often serve as tech demoes. Eve Valkyrie though, is a gorgeous experience that feels great in VR. I had a chance to play the most recent demo of the single-player campaign, and it’s one of my most anticipated releases on the platform.