Since being shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June, the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset has accrued $1.3 million in crowding, against its relatively modest $250,000 target goal.

An artist's rendering of the Oculus Rift 3D headset ©All rights reserved - Oculus

Most of the money is coming from the project's $300 funding tier, which nets backers early access to the kit from December 2012.

Id Software co-founder and technology enthusiast John Carmack had it set up at his booth at E3, with which visitors could re-visit a remade, graphically improved version of 2004's Doom 3 by means of the Rift's head-mounted display.

Sony has also been making strides with the consumer-grade 3D HDTV HMZ-T1 headset, which retails for $799.