It’s the first day for the Facebook Developer’s Conference (F8) and as expected it has not disappointed. There has been a massive double whammy announcement for virtual reality (VR) fans with the news that both standalone headset Oculus Quest and tethered upgrade Oculus Rift S will both be released on the same day, and that pre-orders are going live today.
Oculus is looking to cover all bases with these two new head-mounted displays (HMD). If you have a suitable PC then it’s the Oculus Rift S you’re after. And for those that don’t have a PC – or one that isn’t VR capable – then the Oculus Quest is your answer.
The company’s first all-in-one solution, Oculus Go, offering a neat entry-level path into VR. With Oculus Quest customers now have an upgraded option with full 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF), allowing them to fully move around a roomscale virtual environment thanks to Oculus Insight, the inside-out tracking system which uses the four wide-angle sensors on the front of the headset. Oculus Insight not only provides real-time tracking of the headset, but it also tracks the new Oculus Touch controllers for maximum immersion. It’s also the same solution used with Oculus Rift S.
With the original Oculus Rift now discontinued the Oculus Rift S is now the flagship device. Thanks to its PC connection the HMD will be able to provide experiences the Oculus Quest can’t, and thanks to a fifth sensor on the top of the headset provides an even greater tracking field for the controllers.
Both Oculus Rift S will retail for $399 USD while the Oculus Quest will come in two options. The 64GB model for $399 and the 128GB model for $499. Pre-orders go live today (30th April) with both available to purchase from 21st May in 22 countries. For US customers, Oculus’ retail partners include Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and GameStop, online and in stores, with Best Buy also offering Oculus Quest demos on launch day. And then there are Currys PC World, FNAC, MediaMarkt, and more in the UK and EU.
Oculus has stated that Oculus Quest will have over 50 titles for its launch next month, with quite a few already confirmed. It’s certainly an exciting day for VR fans and as further announcements today are made, VRFocus will let you know.
via Mint VR