Breaking: Facebook Set To Acquire Virtual Reality Company Oculus Rift For $2 Billion

Facebook has agreed to acquire Oculus, the virtual gaming company behind the Oculus Rift headset, for a price of $2 billion.

According to Bloomberg, the deal includes $400 million in cash and 23.1 million units of Facebook stock.

The deal was announced in a statement posted by Mark Zuckerberg today, in which the Facebook CEO stated that while there was more progress to be done on the mobile front, the social media company was ready to expand on other platforms.

"This is where Oculus comes in," Zuckerberg said. "They build virtual reality technology, like the Oculus Rift headset. When you put it on, you enter a completely immersive computer-generated environment, like a game or a movie scene or a place far away. The incredible thing about the technology is that you feel like you’re actually present in another place with other people. People who try it say it’s different from anything they’ve ever experienced in their lives."

While Oculus will continue to work as an independent gaming company under Facebook's umbrella, Zuckerberg says that the newly acquired startup will work towards exploring other facets of virtual reality.

“After games, we’re going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face — just by putting on goggles in your home,” he says. “This is really a new communication platform. By feeling truly present, you can share unbounded spaces and experiences with the people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.”

Brendan Iribe (27) is the CEO of Oculus. Iribe visited Elite Daily office in November where he demoed the Oculus Rift headset and spoke more about the company and its direction, a feature which can be viewed below.