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Oculus Rift has just announced details for the consumer launch of their virtual reality headset. This is poised to become a benchmark product by which others are measured, and with Facebook’s backing we’re sure to see very interesting and significant developments down the line.
So when’s it coming? For how much? Will it help me survive the apocalypse? Fret not, because the answers are in. Here’s what we know so far:
- There will be a simple, sleek desktop sensor that doesn’t require anything but a USB connection to a PC.
- The release date for the Oculus Rift is scheduled to happen in Q1 2016.
- The integrated headphones are user removable.
- Oculus Rift will have a dial for adjusting lens focal distance.
- The headset’s design has been updated to better accommodate glasses.
- Oculus Rift will come pre-packaged with a wireless Xbox One controller.
- You will be able to stream Xbox One games to your Windows PC to play in Oculus Rift.
- Oculus is pledging $10 million to help independent developers create games for Oculus Rift.
- Oculus Home will be a fully 3D VR-enabled user interface to buy and play all your games.
- Oculus Touch is a new input option that’ll allow you to control your games with your hands instead of a traditional controller. It supports gestures, hand presence and object manipulation in the game world.
We also get a first look at some of the launch games that will natively support Oculus Rift. One was an insane space combat action title called EVE Valkyrie (which, for what it’s worth, is also headed for the PlayStation 4 and Sony’s Project Morpheus headset). You can check out a quick trailer of it in action right here:
Other games announced for Oculus Rift include an exclusive third-party Insomniac title named Edge of Nowhere, as well as an interesting action RPG titled Chronos.
Damaged Core, VR Sports Challenge, Esper, AirMech VR and Lucky’s Tale are all slated to be on Oculus Rift in 2016, and available to try out for anyone attending E3 as soon as next week..
Unfortunately the details stop there, which means we still don’t have an exact release date, nor do we know how much it’ll hit our wallets for once it arrives. E3 is next week so we’ll be on the lookout for more details then. Otherwise, it looks like we’ll have to wait until we’re closer to that Q1 2016 launch window to be let in on more.
I just read another tech blog site that had a very fascinating detail you left out. I am told it will be very comfortable to wear and have some kind of “fabric” on it. These advances in technology are astounding!
I have no idea what fabric is, but I know I want some! Im sold!
I would imagine this “fabric” would be immaculate. Mainly because I can see these being worn for an extended amount of time. So my ears, head and everything else needs some cushion.
The fabric will be 100% butt-a-fucko fibre. Guaranteed to be a pleasant ride.
I heard it was made from the rare fresh water fuzzy clams
Someone educate me here. Is there a specific reason it’s an Xbox one controller and not something generic? Is it just because it will play nice with the oculus? Or does Microsoft have some kind of hand in this too? I’m hoping not because I have no interest in owning an xbone.
I was wondering that too… Why not let the user decide?
Because it’s the standard. Look at most every aftermarket controller out there, or one off controllers like the one for the NVIDIA Shield controller, the Nexus Player Controller, the Wii U Pro Controller… everyone goes with that design because it’s rock solid. Sure there’s personal preference, but it’s the standard, just as they expect the Rift to be.
I believe it’s the standard because Microsoft included Xbox controller drivers in Windows. We can argue all day about better design or preference, but PC games support Xbox controllers because Microsoft made their products work together and ultimately that’s why it’s the standard (at least in the PC world).
From what I understand, you should be able to use any standard controller. It’s just that the Xbox One control is what will come as standard.
So, can I use it with my PS4 or not?
PS4 controllers are plug-n-play. But also keep in mind there does seem to be integration with the Xbox One.
Your best bet with PS4 is to wait for project Morpheus for VR.
Note how there’s integration with the Xbox One. They probably made a deal with Microsoft. I haven’t done any research on the Oculus Rift.
looks awesome! still waiting to hear about the price….
DK2 is excactly 350$ if you have been told that it is 800$ then someone made a prank on you
Nothing to See Here…. Everyone Move Along….
Valkyrie looks awesome!
Terrible clickbate on this site.
I was on this page:
https://phandroid.com/2015/06/11/android-5-1-moto-x-2013/
And I see a link at the bottom with the headline “Oculus Rift Price Announced.” I think to myself “Hmm, I don’t remember that being released earlier in the day, maybe they sent out another update.
I click on it and I’m brought to this article.
“Unfortunately the details stop there, which means we still don’t have an exact release date, nor do we know how much it’ll hit our wallets for once it arrives.”
Then don’t make your damn headline “Oculus Rift Price Announced” That’s tabloid level.
+1
This is a mistake for which I’ll take credit. It was an honest mistake.
We were highly expecting the price to be announced and I had our bloggers anticipating the news so we could push to our readers quickly. While we switched up most of the relevant content accordingly there are lots of little details/tasks to complete for each article in our backend. In our haste to publish quickly, this one was overlooked.
This has been updated and the change should appear on the live site soon. Thanks for your understanding and pointing this out!
Hmm… instead of designing around various corrective glasses frames, why not have the lenses fully adjustable? Either that, or make it really easy to place inserts.
Fukn clickbait. “Stuff, info, we has, just come give our site traffic!” Click link, and nothing of substance. No release date, price, etc. Although the price of the OR is supposed to be around $300, so if it changes substantially higher then bait and switch comes to mind.
Then again, I have a Swift, TrackIr and nvidia 3D vision. 3D vision admittedly mediocre at best, but works in some games, however if the OR’s resolution remains what it is and isn’t substantially improved then not going to work for me as I play ArmAIII, Il-2:Battle of Stalingrad, Elite Dangerous, and Star Citizen which require fairly high resolution to see long range in order to engage or avoid engagement and the current DK2 res is too poor to work for those titles to see far out targets. It’s okay for close quarter combat games, like hallway FPS shooters, but just not going to be good for air combat sims. Probably work for War Thunder because that is totally designed to be quick combat in close in quarters on small maps with big ol’ icons.
The Eve trailer looks awesome, but it’s a cinematic and so highly unlikely it will play like that or even close to that. No way that is going to be playable on most systems, even if they could fit all of that in such a close area, it will bring even great systems to their knees. Nice trailer, but don’t believe for a second it will have engagements like that. Not even close.