It’s been rumoured that old mate Zuckerberg would be announcing a standalone VR headset for some time and today, he’s bloody done it. Unlike the expensive Oculus Rift, the freshly unveiled Oculus Go is a mid-range product designed to give users a hassle-free VR experience.
Shipping early next year, the Go will set you back $US199 ($255) and is a completely wireless alternative to the Rift, which requires a powerful PC to run. You don’t even need to plug in a smartphone like the Google Daydream or Gear VR. Details on exactly how you’ll run experiences on the device are still scarce at this stage.
The unit’s packing a new fast-switch LCD display with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, which is meant to help reduce the blurry “screen door effect” as well as latency when you move around. It also has integrated spacial audio with speakers built into the device instead of the Rift’s attached headphones. You can still use your own headphones via a 3.5mm audio jack.
Oculus Go is part of Zuckerberg’s push to get one billion people into VR, which is one helluva gnarly goal. Even with a lower price point, $255 still isn’t exactly cheap for the casual user.
The Oculus Connect conference also brought good news to anyone who’s been pondering the purchase of a Rift, announcing a permanent price drop to $US399 ($512).
We’ve come a pretty long way since VR’s debut into the consumer market and it’s always exciting to see it become more accessible to everyday users. There’s still a damn long way to go before a billion users jump into it, though.
