About a year ago, Facebook acquired VR startup Oculus, sparking equal parts outrage from fans and prophesies of a coming revolution in how we interact with the digital world. While some Latin Post readers were confident VR would be available in full force by now, it's safe to say VR is still in the prototype phase -- though not for long.

Here's a rundown on the progress of the biggest players in the race to be the first, best VR headset to hit the general consumer market.

Vive VR by HTC and Valve (Steam)

The most recent addition to the widening field of potential hit VR headsets comes from a partnership between Taiwanese device maker HTC and one of the biggest, most persistent players in PC games, Valve, which runs Steam, the cult but increasingly mainstream social gaming platform and marketplace.

HTC's Vive VR was unveiled at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) this week. It's definitely still in early stages, a bulky, awkward unfinished headset replete with straps, bare sensors and wires everywhere.

But early hands-on testers were very impressed with the VR system, which features one 1200 x 1080p display per eye running at 90 frames per second, offering immersive 360 degree views and a pair of touchpad controllers:

"It genuinely felt like I was there," wrote Nicole Lee from Engadget after running through a demo, which included an early version of Valve's hit alternate-physics puzzle game Portal. "I walked away from the demo a complete believer, not just in VR, but also in HTC and Valve, and I can't wait to see what's next."

The HTC Viva is expected to launch a developer edition this spring, with a commercial headset optimistically targeted for the end of the year. Pricing and minimum PC spec requirements (which are probably pretty steep) are yet unknown.

"Project Morpheus" by Sony (PS4)

Another headline-making VR project this week at GDC was the new update to Sony's Project Morpheus, a headset built to work with the PlayStation 4 to bring VR to gamers.

The new headset has an updated 1920 x 1080p OLED display with a 120hz refresh rate, and it fits on the head in a more comfortable way, according to a hands-on report from The Verge.

Sony's gaming-focused VR is set to launch sometime next year, so it'll miss the first wave of releases. However, if Sony can get enough high quality game development done in the meantime -- the company's current strategy -- so that it has a broad catalogue of VR games at launch, it may quickly become the force to be with reckoned with.

Samsung Gear VR by Samsung and Oculus

The first iteration of Gear VR was unveiled with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in the fall of 2014. It's a headset made with Oculus and powered by the powerful, hulking phablet, but so far it's only had limited availability (for developers and journalists).

But the third iteration of Gear VR, according to Wired this week, will be much more polished and will come with more content than just the few demo apps launched last year -- and it's coming before the end of this year (presumably with the launch of the next Galaxy Note sometime in September).

While less immersive than computer-powered VR like the Oculus Rift or Vive, this means Samsung could have the first major VR release and the first crack at a consumer market increasingly primed for the experience . . . If the price is right.

VR for G3 by LG (and Google)

Another take similar to Samsung's is "VR for G3" by LG, which used the Google Cardboard DIY concept, powered by the LG G3, for a low-rent version of VR. Low-rent isn't a bad thing though, since according to Tech Radar, the VR kit is launching as a free bundled bonus for new LG G3 buyers in limited places.

If that's an indication of a later launch at a price lower than Samsung's $300-range Gear VR, it could blow up with consumers looking for an easy entry point into the VR experience, whenever LG ends up launching it widely.

Oculus Rift by Facebook

Of course, the most well known and highly anticipated VR system is the Oculus Rift, which has shown signs that the acquisition by Facebook last year wasn't exactly a poison pill.

Recently, Facebook Chief Product Officer Chris Cox told Re/Code apps were already being developed for the impressive Oculus Rift, which may still be considered the front-runner among VR enthusiasts. Not only that, Facebook is (of course) looking to incorporate user-generated content into the platform.

When Re/Code's Peter Kafka asked if users will "be able to make virtual-reality content," Cox replied, "Totally. You'll do it, Beyoncé will do it." Cox also noted that's probably a "long way" away, since it'll take a while for the headsets to catch a wide consumer base.

There's still no solid release date for the Oculus Rift, but the company is still taking preorders for development kits, so Rift fans shouldn't lose hope.