At its fourth developer conference in San Jose, Oculus has announced the standalone Oculus Go VR headset – its most affordable VR headset to-date.
VR isn’t moving as fast as Facebook (or Oculus) would have liked. In addition to the technology not being “quite there yet,” a decent VR setup is far from cheap. Apart from needing a powerful PC to run it, the actual hardware is also beyond the means of many people. In its effort to get more people to buy its current setup – the Rift and Touch – it ran the “Summer of Rift” sale, pricing the bundle at $399 (and the Oculus Touch for $99) in July.
Having realised that in order to democratise VR, cheaper hardware is needed, so it’s now launching a standalone VR headset: Oculus Go.
The Oculus Go, available early in 2018, will be the company’s most affordable VR hardware to-date; but more importantly, it allows users to “effortlessly enter VR with no PC or wires attached.” It’s Oculus’ first all-in-one VR headset, and its price starts at $199 in the U.S. Oculus has also improved its lenses on the new headset, and its “breathable fabrics” and “adjustable straps” add to the freedom it will hopefully provide.
With the motto, “Watch. Play. Hang out,” the Oculus Go promises to immerse users in “over 1,000 VR games, social apps, 360° experiences, and more.”
Will the Oculus Go help democratise VR hardware? This remains to be seen.
During its developer conference, Oculus also showcased the updates it made to Project Santa Cruz — “a fully 6DOF, positionally tracked headset — which include fully tracked controllers that enable hand presence in the standalone form factor,” and which “helps support Rift-like immersive content in an untethered environment.”
But that’s not all. Oculus also introduced Oculus for Business, allowing companies to integrate VR into the office, and to use it for things like trainings, collaboration, and retail sales. Finally, Rift’s software gets an update with Rift Core 2.0, bringing customization to Oculus Homewith environments, decor, and interactive gadgets that allow users to invite friends to visit their places and check out theirs, as well.
In terms of social VR products, Oculus announced Oculus Venues, that will allow users to “watch concerts and catch premieres of new movies and TV shows with up to 1,000 people.” This is an exciting time for VR, and there is a lot more to come in the near future.
Images: Oculus
You might also like
More from Tech
New Kings Of Leon Album Will Be Available As An NFT
Kings of Leon is about to make history as the first band to make an album available as an NFT …
Nyan Cat NFT Auctioned Off For 300 ETH
The creator of the Nyan Cat meme has confirmed the sale of the digital artwork for 300 Ether (ETH) - …
Facebook Adds Multi-User Accounts And App Sharing To Oculus Quest
Facebook has announced it's adding two features to Oculus Quest that let users share their devices with each other.
Microsoft Adds A ‘Kids Mode’ To Its Edge Browser
Microsoft has announced an update to its Edge Browser with a new 'Kids Mode' that makes browsing safer and more …
Apple Launches Inaugural Entrepreneur Camp For Black Founders And Developers
Apple has kicked off its Entrepreneur Camp for Black Founders and Developers, announcing 13 companies that will take part in …
A First Look At The Upcoming Sonos Headphones
A new design patent filing at the German Patent and Trademark Office provides a glimpse at the long-rumored Sonos Headphones.
Apple Launches AR App To Promote Season 2 Of For All Mankind
Apple has launched a new AR app as part of its promotion for season 2 of its popular show For All …
iOS 14.5 Lets You Choose Spotify As The Default Music Player For Siri
One of the new features on iOS 14.5 is the ability to choose Spotify as the default for Siri. Here's …
Shopify Expands Shop Pay To Facebook And Instagram
Shopify has announced that it's expanding its Shop Pay payment option to all merchants selling on Facebook and Instagram.