Facebook is back with a new VR headset, and it isn’t an upgrade to the current Oculus Rift! You may be wondering why Facebook would go to the lengths of creating a new VR headset if it doesn’t want something grander than the current rift. The answer is pretty simple, as this is their new go anywhere VR headset – Oculus Go!
It is a product that doesn’t require you to be tethered to a PC. Facebook is gunning portability with the Oculus Go. If you remember when oculus rift was announced, it was compared to the Samsung Gear VR. When comparing the performance, the rift won over the Gear VR. But then again Gear VR was portable, as it only needed a Samsung mobile rather than a PC. This was a huge plus point for the Gear VR.
Oculus Go: Focus on Portability
The VR market has shifted to a setup where portability matter a lot. The Oculus Go is going to be retailing about half the price of Oculus Rift, but the main differentiating factor is that it doesn’t need a PC or a smartphone to work. It has its own screen with a built-in processor – A true wireless experience.
So, it is truly a standalone product when compared with the Oculus Rift or Gear VR. The product comes in two storage sizes – 32GB and 64GB variants. To shed more light on the product features, let’s look at some of the key features of the Oculus Go.
Key features
- Screen: fast switch WQHD LCD screen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440
- Field of View: 110 degrees
- It uses a wireless remote
- Sensors used: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer
- Doesn’t require a PC or Smartphone to operate
- Processor: Snapdragon 821
The pricing is approximately set at $199 for the entry level Oculus Go with 32GB internal memory. The official spec list isn’t released, but we can expect them in a few weeks’ time. We will get authentic info on the battery life, performance, weight, etc. only when that happens.
Well Priced and Supports Main Steam VR Apps Out Of the Package
The Oculus Go is priced in very comfy position between the Rift and the galaxy VR. This is a sweet spot for VR lovers, as it gives them a product on a budget that is capable of delivering the whole VR experience.
The Oculus Go supports all major VR applications like Netflix, Hulu, and a plethora of games. Since the software is derivative of the Gear VR, the Oculus Go will be able to run Gear VR games and other applications. Facebook has already given out prototypes to developers to play with. As per Variety, the product is set to be launched on May 1, at the 2018 F8 Conference at San Jose, CA.