There is lots of news coming out of Oculus Connect today, including various bits aimed at bringing more people into the world of VR. In addition to announcing a price cut to its Rift headset and Touch controller bundle, which now costs $399, Oculus introduced its first standalone headset. Meet the Oculus Go.
The Oculus Go is a wireless solution that doesn't require PC like the Rift does, nor does it need a smartphone like Samsung's Oculus-power Gear VR. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says it's designed to be the "most accessible VR headset ever."
That said, this is not the elusive (and more powerful) Project Santa Cruz that Oculus is working on. It's more of an entry-level VR product, one that is "super lightweight" and supposedly comfortable with a new and breathable fabric for the facial interface.
Oculus Go sports a "fast-switch LCD" panel with a 2560x1440 (WQHD) resolution. The company claims it "dramatically improves visual clarity and reduces screen door effect," while also offering a wide field of view with reduced glare.
The new headset is also equipped with integrated spatial audio. Speakers are built into the headset, and there is also a 3.5mm headphone jack for private listening.
Oculus notes Gear VR and its new headset are binary compatible, so that developers who are already building content for the former are, by default, also building for the latter. They also share the same controller input set.
The Oculus Go will ship in early 2018.
