Every single time, from then till now, the experience has always been the same. It makes for an AWESOME demo. It is THRILLING in every way. It feels like the future, and that you can be on the cutting edge!
Then you buy one, and those dreamy moments of the demo are replaced with reality.
You want that same experience that the demo had, but not with the demo software, with the software that you actually like...but the headset doesn't support it. So you mess around with the handful of software it does support. Unfortunately it's not what you really wanted, and it gets old fast. The first twinges of regret start to appear, but they are easy to ignore at this point.
You tell yourself that there's a more basic compatibility mode for ALL games, including those that don't support the API directly...but it's just a hollow marketing gimmick because using that mode sucks.
You genuinely believe the promises that better support and more software is coming. And it does...sort of...in small spurts. It's still not what you wanted, and even that peters out quickly. The headset spends more and more time tucked away under the coffee table until one day you find it and realize it's been months since you've used it.
Then there's the social outcast experience, which is a real thing. Actual life is going on around you, and it's weird. You hear people walking around, talking doing things, and not only does it break the immersion, but you feel left out in a weird way. You feel awkward around them and they feel awkward around you. The VR headset is a real barrier between you and them.
You have friends over to use it, but other than demos, you don't do much with it. Everything thinks its cool, but then you sit on the couch and play Nintendo, Xbox, whatever.
And every time, EVERY time there's been another headset, there's that hope that this time it will be different. The resolution is better! It weighs less! The refresh rate is higher! Head tracking actually works! It's supported by a big, rich company like SEGA/Sony/Google/Samsung/Facebook! So lots of games are going to support it!
The Rift is no different. At all. I know the Rift "wows" everyone, but those "wow" moments have always been there. The problems with mass market appeal were never due to poor resolution, or head tracking, or any other "specification on the box".
IMHO the Rift will release and thousands of people will buy them. They will have a great time with them for a short period of time. But much quicker than they expect, the magic will be lost. And one day they'll forget about it... and instead they'll be playing Clash of Farmsville 3 or Call of Battlefield 9 instead.
Then a couple of years later there will some other new VR headset, and they'll explain why it's really better this time, and the cycle will repeat.
Eventually I do believe we'll get to mass market adoption, but I see absolutely nothing about the Rift that fixes the real problems with mass acceptance of VR headsets.
