Looks Like Oculus VR Is Stepping Up Its Game
Many will remember, before nearly every developer was dishing them out, that for a time the Oculus was the king of virtual reality. The games were not exactly groundbreaking but they were fun, exciting and served as a taste of what to expect in the near future.
Nowadays, it’s the likes of the Vive and PlayStation VR that stand above the rest, with the Oculus dragging behind in sales as well as quality content.
However, it seems that they’re on route to make a comeback! At least according to an article on Gamespot –
At the Oculus Connect 4 event, Facebook detailed two new virtual reality headsets. First, it revealed a standalone VR headset called Oculus Go. It doesn’t require a PC or smartphone to work since hardware is built into the headset itself. On top of cutting the cord and and hardware requirement, the Oculus Go will carry a $200 price tag. Development kits will be sent out in November, but Oculus Go is said to release in early 2018.
Oculus Go shares many of the same functionalities as the Samsung Gear VR, which is also developed by Oculus. Gear VR apps will be compatible with Oculus Go from day one and uses the same controller.
As for hardware specs, the details are currently a little sparse, but it uses improved lenses. It features WQHD fast-switch displays with reduced glare and the same field of view as Rift. Spatial audio is also built into the Oculus Go headset; there’s no requirement for headphones.
The second reveal was an update to Project Santa Cruz, which is a wireless Oculus VR headset with built-in cameras for positional tracking, eliminating the need for external sensors. Along with the new Santa Cruz controllers–which look very similar to the Touch controllers–the new headset will feature full six-degrees of freedom movement. Development kits are said to be available within a year.
Additionally, the current Oculus Rift headset received a permanent price cut. It’s now available for $400 USD.
Sounds like the VR balance of power might be shifting!
