CV1 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Mon, 25 Mar 2019 14:34:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png CV1 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Oculus Rift S specifications and differences compared to CV1 https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/oculus-rift-s-specifications-and-differences-compared-to-cv1/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/oculus-rift-s-specifications-and-differences-compared-to-cv1/#respond Mon, 25 Mar 2019 14:34:22 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=407960 Last week during the Game Developer Conference, the Oculus Rift S was announced. This is a new, PC-tethered headset that will replace the original Oculus Rift CV1. It has plenty of improvements but there are also some drawbacks to the new headset that are worth keeping in mind for those looking to upgrade. When the …

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Last week during the Game Developer Conference, the Oculus Rift S was announced. This is a new, PC-tethered headset that will replace the original Oculus Rift CV1. It has plenty of improvements but there are also some drawbacks to the new headset that are worth keeping in mind for those looking to upgrade.

When the Rift S was announced, some of the core details were a bit vague, with Oculus promising improved visual fidelity, optics, comfort etc. Now we have a better idea of the different trade-offs made for the new design. For instance, the Rift S has an improved display resolution of 1280×1440 per eye (up from 1080×1200) but the display itself is now LCD rather than OLED, which means the black level won't be quite as good as it was before. Aside from that, the refresh rate has been reduced from 90Hz to 80Hz and Oculus has moved to a fixed IPD of 64mm, whereas the CV1 was adjustable between 58mm and 71mm.

The flip down headphones have been replaced by speakers embedded in the headband. That means the Rift S is still an all-in-one solution but if you want truly enclosed audio, you will need to plug in your own pair of headphones.

Here is a full specification breakdown:

Spec Oculus Rift S Oculus Rift CV1
Display & Resolution 2560×1440 (1280×1440 per eye), LCD, 80Hz. 2160×1200 (1080×1200 per eye), Pentile AMOLED, 90Hz.
Field of View 115° (To be confirmed) 110°
Optics/lenses Second-gen hybrid Fresnel Lenses. Fixed 64mm IPD. First-gen Hybrid Fresnel Lenses. Adjustable IPD (58mm to 71mm)
Sensors Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Magnetometer
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Magnetometer
Tracking 6DoF inside-out tracking. 5 internal camera sensors. 6DoF external camera tracking. 360-degree IR LED head tracking.
Headphones ‘Near ear' speakers in headband. Headphone jack for external headphones. 3D Audio headphones.
Head mounting Lenovo Halo Strap. Velcro head straps.
Weight TBC 470g
Connectivity DisplayPort 1.2, USB 3.0 (5 meter connection) HDMI 1.3 , USB 3.0, USB 2.0 (4 meter connection)

Ultimately, the Oculus Rift S brings along a more comfortable design, a much simpler setup process thanks to the internal tracking sensors and better optics. The biggest trade-offs appear to be the switch to LCD instead of OLED and the fixed IPD. According to a study, the average IPD of adults lies somewhere in the 63mm range, so the Rift S is designed to suit most people but the lack of adjustability means that some people will be left with a less than ideal experience.

Those attending GDC this year had the chance to try out the Rift S ahead of launch and so far, impressions seem mostly positive. It will be interesting to see how things pan out when review units start going out and more people have a chance to try it.

KitGuru Says: The Rift S is very different to the Rift CV1 and seems to combine a lot of the changes seen in the Oculus Go and Oculus Quest. Are any of you looking to pick up a VR headset this year? What do you think of the Rift S and the various changes compared to the CV1?

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Titanfall devs are working on a virtual reality game https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/matthew-wilson/titanfall-devs-are-working-on-a-virtual-reality-game/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/matthew-wilson/titanfall-devs-are-working-on-a-virtual-reality-game/#respond Thu, 12 Oct 2017 11:00:31 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=350121 It seems that Respawn Entertainment is keeping itself very busy at the moment. Aside from continuing to support Titanfall 2, the studio is also working on a Star Wars game for EA and now, it has also taken on a secret virtual reality project for Oculus. The announcement was made last night during the Oculus …

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It seems that Respawn Entertainment is keeping itself very busy at the moment. Aside from continuing to support Titanfall 2, the studio is also working on a Star Wars game for EA and now, it has also taken on a secret virtual reality project for Oculus.

The announcement was made last night during the Oculus Connect event, during which we received announcements for a permanent Oculus Rift price cut, the launch of the Oculus Go headset and a sneak peek at a new upcoming headset codenamed ‘Santa Cruz’.

Respawn isn’t sharing much on its VR project right now but it is not based on Titanfall or Star Wars. It is going to be a “first-person combat experience” and there is a 1:43 long video featuring the developers talking about it, all while revealing surprisingly little information.

Respawn is looking to put you in the shoes of a soldier in combat in a more “fully fleshed out and realistic way”. The game isn’t scheduled to launch until 2019, so there is quite a wait but judging by the video, it is going to require Oculus Touch and potentially even a Room Scale set up with three sensors.

KitGuru Says: Titanfall is one of my favourite shooters around, so to hear that the folks at Respawn Entertainment are making a VR game is quite exciting. Unfortunately, it is still way too far from release to really show anything off, which is a shame.

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The Oculus Rift and Touch bundle gets a permanent price cut to £399 https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/the-oculus-rift-and-touch-bundle-gets-a-permanent-price-cut-to-399/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/the-oculus-rift-and-touch-bundle-gets-a-permanent-price-cut-to-399/#respond Wed, 11 Oct 2017 18:05:46 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=350016 Back in 2014/2015, Oculus was the go-to company as far as virtual reality was concerned, then in 2016, things began snowballing downhill pretty quickly. One of the key reasons so many were turned away was pricing, the headset itself came in at £500 at launch, which was worsened by the £199 Touch controllers. Earlier this …

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Back in 2014/2015, Oculus was the go-to company as far as virtual reality was concerned, then in 2016, things began snowballing downhill pretty quickly. One of the key reasons so many were turned away was pricing, the headset itself came in at £500 at launch, which was worsened by the £199 Touch controllers. Earlier this year, Oculus tried to turn things around with a ‘Summer Sale‘, cutting the Rift+Touch bundle down to just $399/£399. At first this was a temporary price cut but today, it was made permanent.

We already saw a big jump in the number of Rift CV1 headsets on Steam following the summer sale, so it looks like Oculus wants to keep the ball rolling.

Oculus-Rift-6-2-e1481200893344.jpg

If you do decide to drop some cash on a Rift, then you'll have a lot of options as far as games are concerned. This year alone has seen games like Robo Recall, Wilson's Heart, Lone Echo, The Invisible Hours, Arktika 1 and more launch in VR. There is much more to come in the future too, not to mention the fact that the Rift with Touch can support most, if not all games currently on SteamVR, though a third sensor will be required for roomscale.

KitGuru Says: Given all the excitement and buzz there was surrounding Oculus prior to launch, it has been a shame to see things drift so far down hill so quickly. Still, the headset stacks up against the Vive well with the touch controllers, so if you wanted to give VR a whirl, £399 isn’t exactly a bad price, especially now that the price cut is permanent. 

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Oculus Rift virtual reality headset full review https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-announcement/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-virtual-reality-headset-full-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-announcement/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-virtual-reality-headset-full-review/#comments Wed, 11 May 2016 13:13:44 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=289549 After many years of talking, speculating and trialing pre-release hardware, we finally have our hands on the first consumer grade virtual reality headset in the world: the Oculus Rift CV1. Packing a pair of 1,080 x 1,200 pixel OLED displays behind a pair of custom-made fresnel lenses, Oculus hopes to take home the VR crown …

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After many years of talking, speculating and trialing pre-release hardware, we finally have our hands on the first consumer grade virtual reality headset in the world: the Oculus Rift CV1. Packing a pair of 1,080 x 1,200 pixel OLED displays behind a pair of custom-made fresnel lenses, Oculus hopes to take home the VR crown by opting for a traditional gaming focus over that of its big rival, HTC.

The headset itself is ergonomic and lightweight, with a unique strap system and built in headphones. It's tracked by a standalone USB powered infrared camera and is bundled with a wireless Xbox One control and a small remote. 

oculusriftreview

Much has been made in the past few weeks about whether the Rift or the HTC Vive are leading the VR charge – which is the better solution? While we will consider that as part of this review, until we have completed a full review of both systems, we won't be making any major direct comparisons.

That will come later. What we will attempt to do in this review, is address whether the package that Oculus offers consumers is worth the £500+ cost. Is the hardware good, is the content there and is it worth it?

Features and specifications

  • Display: 2,160 x 1,200 across two OLED panels.
  • Refresh rate: 90Hz.
  • Field of view: 110 degrees.
  • Tracking: Infrared camera tracks five x 11 feet.
  • Weight: 470g.
  • Headphones: Built-in.
  • Controller: Xbox One gamepad, wireless remote.
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The Oculus Rift can do roomscale, but watch your head https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/the-oculus-rift-can-do-roomscale-but-watch-your-head/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/the-oculus-rift-can-do-roomscale-but-watch-your-head/#respond Tue, 29 Mar 2016 11:22:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=288220 One of the big selling points of HTC's Vive virtual reality headset, is that it can “do roomscale.” That means users can get up and walk around in the real world, while ensconced in virtual reality. It turns out though that the Oculus Rift can do that pretty well too, you just need to be …

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One of the big selling points of HTC's Vive virtual reality headset, is that it can “do roomscale.” That means users can get up and walk around in the real world, while ensconced in virtual reality. It turns out though that the Oculus Rift can do that pretty well too, you just need to be a bit more careful not to bump your head.

Because the Vive has targeted roomscale experiences from the get go, it pushed to develop a built in camera within the headset and what's called the chaperone system. This manifests as a translucent grid around the edge of your playspace and offers a great visual aid to prevent you bumping into anything.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_HlXzELHgo']

In comparison, the Rift doesn't have that, which means there is some danger of bumping into things, as the guys at UploadVR found during their CV1 testing.

However they did find that the field of view and tracking range of the Oculus Rift's Constellation camera was surprisingly good, offering a near room-scale experience from the get go. With a second sensor placed somewhere behind the player, it's not hard to imagine the Rift offering a comparably expansive space to play in as the Vive.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyNKR_-uKfs']

Jump to 1:20 if you want to see the problem with a lack of Chaperone

You just might want some form of real world indicator that you're getting close to the edge of it, as smashing your brand new headset into a wall as you try and look around a non-existent corner, would be a real shame.

KitGuru Says: There are some issues with cable length, but it's great to see that the Rift does offer similar freedom to the Vive. Hopefully Oculus can come up with its own version of the chaperone system too.

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Palmer Luckey delivers world’s first Oculus Rift CV1 to customer https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/palmer-luckey-delivers-worlds-first-oculus-rift-cv1-to-customer/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/palmer-luckey-delivers-worlds-first-oculus-rift-cv1-to-customer/#comments Mon, 28 Mar 2016 07:46:57 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=288119 It's been more than three and a half years in the making, but the Oculus Rift CV1 virtual reality headsets are now heading out to consumers around the world, with deliveries expected to begin any day now. To make the arrival of the very first one that little bit more special though, Oculus VR founder, Palmer …

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It's been more than three and a half years in the making, but the Oculus Rift CV1 virtual reality headsets are now heading out to consumers around the world, with deliveries expected to begin any day now. To make the arrival of the very first one that little bit more special though, Oculus VR founder, Palmer Luckey hand delivered it. To Alaska; with his trademark shorts and sandals on too.

palmer

This wasn't just the person with the quickest, personal, delivery option though, but the very first pre-orderer out of the many thousands that quickly logged on to their Oculus accounts in January this year, when pre-orders finally went live. Ross Martin was faster than anyone, so Palmer rewarded him with not only the first Rift and hand delivery, but a signed box with signatures from all of the executives at Oculus.

Personally delivering the first Rift to Alaska!

Posted by Palmer Freeman Luckey on Saturday, March 26, 2016

Posted by Palmer Freeman Luckey on Saturday, March 26, 2016

The video posted online to celebrate it is exciting too, though as you might expect, a little awkward. Luckey is very amped up and Martin is somewhat overwhelmed to have the billionaire founder of one of his favourite companies standing in-front of him all of a sudden. There's also a little bit of difficulty with the opening of the box itself, but that doesn't last long.

Soon enough Martin is getting a personal demonstration of setting up the Rift CV1, with the creator of the original DK1. That's quite some nerd points he's racked up there.

KitGuru Says: Rifts will be arriving all over the U.S. today as part of the first batch. Mine isn't even processing yet, but it won't be long until we can bring you guys some exciting content about the long-awaited VR system.

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First Oculus Rift CV1s have shipped, start arriving Monday https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/first-oculus-rift-cv1s-have-shipped-start-arriving-monday/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/first-oculus-rift-cv1s-have-shipped-start-arriving-monday/#comments Fri, 25 Mar 2016 09:02:56 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=287971 Three and a half years on from its initial Kickstarter campaign, the consumer version of the Oculus Rift headset has now begun shipping to consumers. Confirmed by CEO Brendan Iribe on Twitter, the first ones out the door will begin arriving on customers' doorsteps on Monday, the 28th. While that might not apply to the …

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Three and a half years on from its initial Kickstarter campaign, the consumer version of the Oculus Rift headset has now begun shipping to consumers. Confirmed by CEO Brendan Iribe on Twitter, the first ones out the door will begin arriving on customers' doorsteps on Monday, the 28th.

While that might not apply to the UK, since we have our bank holiday to contend with, it certainly won't be long until the Rift CV1 shows up at everyone's homes. Coming in the fancy carry case with a white sleeve, those receiving a free Kickstarter Edition and pre-orderers will receive the headset itself, with built in headphones, a wireless Xbox One controller, constellation tracking camera and a wireless remote.

The headsets are also shipping with a few games for early pre-orderers. There's the 3D platforming Luckey's Tale, offering quite a new take on the traditional genre, and first person space-combat sim, Eve Valkyrie.

As well as those two games though, we learned at the Games Developer Conference that the Rift would launch with 30 different games and experiences for players to enjoy. They range from space-floating adventures in ADR1FT, a Project CARS VR port, procedurally generated horror title Dreadhalls and high-speed pipe racer, Radial G, among many others.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: As much as I've been enjoying the Vive Pre a lot, I am excited to see how the consumer Rift turns out. I've been looking forward to playing with one for almost three years. It's about time. 

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Palmer Luckey and Notch spar over Rift quality https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/palmer-luckey-and-notch-spar-over-rift-quality/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/palmer-luckey-and-notch-spar-over-rift-quality/#comments Mon, 29 Feb 2016 11:08:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=285589 Founder of Oculus VR and the original creator of Minecraft, Markus “Notch” Persson, have been going back and forth via Twitter, with the latter suggesting that Oculus has fallen behind its main VR headset rival, HTC with its Vive. While Luckey countered, the back and forth shows the heated landscape VR has become, as the …

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Founder of Oculus VR and the original creator of Minecraft, Markus “Notch” Persson, have been going back and forth via Twitter, with the latter suggesting that Oculus has fallen behind its main VR headset rival, HTC with its Vive. While Luckey countered, the back and forth shows the heated landscape VR has become, as the Vive pre-order time looms just a few hours away.

The history of Notch's thoughts on the Rift has been a long and storied one. An initial Kickstarter backer of the DK1, Notch famously dropped $10,000 on the headset, securing himself a visit to the Oculus VR studios. While he never took Oculus up on that offer, he did see fit to criticise it when it was purchased by Facebook – only to himself sell his studio, Mojang, to Microsoft just a few months later.

This latest back and forth took place when Notch suggested that he was quite gleeful that, “the HTC Vive is so much better than what I've seen so far from Oculus.” However Luckey showed up a few hours later to question his knowledge of Oculus content, which Notch admitted was years behind what's going on right now.

“Well no, and now I'm totally called out on it,” Notch admitted. He continued by stating that “The Rift will always be my first love. I'm partially just butthurt. But my god the complete lack of nausea in Vive…”

The discussion that followed became far more civil, with Luckey pointing out how far Rift development has come. He even invited the Minecraft creator to swing by Oculus' studios to show what the company has been working on. Unfortunately for Luckey, it seems that Notch's financial success hasn't made him any more social, as he wasn't 100% on the idea.

Perhaps the promise of no suits will bring Notch down to Oculus' HQ to see what it's been developing. He'll have to deal with barbs thrown from other developers in the mean time though, as creator of Garry's Mod, Garry Newman, threw out a jab at the Microsoft-minted Mojang founder:

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Notch has always seemed pretty hypocritical when it comes to Oculus ‘selling out' but a lot of people believe the Vive offers something Oculus doesn't. It's mostly a content thing however. The Rift will probably have the best and biggest library of seated and standing games, while the Vive will offer more room-scale experiences. At least until the industry evens out a bit.

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HTC Vive will cost $800, will work with smartphones https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/jon-martindale/htc-vive-will-cost-800-will-work-with-smartphones/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/jon-martindale/htc-vive-will-cost-800-will-work-with-smartphones/#respond Mon, 22 Feb 2016 09:16:25 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=284948 Over the weekend a rumour began circling that the HTC Vive price would be revealed on Monday 22nd February at Mobile World Congress. Despite that looming event, someone broke cover and revealed the price early and now a number of publications have confirmed it, stating that it will be $800 for the whole package and …

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Over the weekend a rumour began circling that the HTC Vive price would be revealed on Monday 22nd February at Mobile World Congress. Despite that looming event, someone broke cover and revealed the price early and now a number of publications have confirmed it, stating that it will be $800 for the whole package and will even work with your smartphone to let you take calls in VR.

Since Oculus announced its $600 (or £530 inc. shipping to the UK) price tag, many have been wondering how high the HTC Vive headset would come in at. Some speculated a thousand dollars, others a price closer to the Rift, but it seemed likely that with the display technology being similar to the Rift CV1, but set to ship with a different tracking solution and two wand controllers, it would always be more expensive.

vivecv1

That has turned out to be the case, though perhaps not by as big a margin as people expected. That said, an extra $200 is still a fair chunk when you consider that to ship to countries like the UK, it will cost another $160 in VAT, and then there are shipping and import taxes. That likely tips the Vive to over $1,000 here, or just over £700.

[yframe url='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mxDQycSyDg']

To help sweeten the deal though, HTC/Valve are bundling Job Simulator and Fantastic Contraption with the Vive and it has been confirmed as capable of linking up with your phone over bluetooth, which means if it rings you can answer and take a call without taking off the headset (thanks UploadVR).

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The CV1 was initially slated to begin shipping in December last year and then March this year. I find it hard to imagine the Vive shipping in huge numbers early on, even if HTC/Valve can get it out of the door by April. As tempted as I am to switch, I think I'll keep my Rift pre-order until we know more. 

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Detailed shots of consumer Oculus Rift package snapped at CES https://www.kitguru.net/channel/event/jon-martindale/detailed-shots-of-consumer-oculus-rift-package-snapped-at-ces/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/event/jon-martindale/detailed-shots-of-consumer-oculus-rift-package-snapped-at-ces/#respond Fri, 08 Jan 2016 12:26:08 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=280119 This week has been an exciting one with CES ongoing in Las Vegas, but Oculus nearly stole the show by launching its pre-orders earlier this week. Although buyers were asked to put down a little more than expected for their future HMD, detailed images of the headset and its accessories were a little hard to …

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This week has been an exciting one with CES ongoing in Las Vegas, but Oculus nearly stole the show by launching its pre-orders earlier this week. Although buyers were asked to put down a little more than expected for their future HMD, detailed images of the headset and its accessories were a little hard to come by. Fortunately one Redditor snapped a bunch of close up shots at the Oculus CES booth.

oculusces01

As neat a package as this looks, there is some debate if this is the final case and layout for the consumer edition Rift. Palmer Luckey has previously hinted that the case – which we know the Rift will ship in – will have space for the Touch controllers too and this doesn't look like it would.

It's worth bearing in mind too that the Touch controllers will come with a second positional tracker. There's no way another one of those fits in that case, unless it's somehow underneath the one that's already there.

oculusces02 oculusces03

From these images it's clear that the whole set up is more polished than ever before, though I wonder if some people might want alternative colour casings at some point in the future.

Thanks to Redditor Brron for these photos. You can see the full album here.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: How many of you pre-ordered one of these? I have mine coming in late March, so expect a bevy of KitGuru VR coverage when it arrives.

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Palmer Luckey reveals more Rift details in AMA https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/palmer-luckey-reveals-more-rift-details-in-ama/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/palmer-luckey-reveals-more-rift-details-in-ama/#respond Thu, 07 Jan 2016 10:41:49 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=279931 Yesterday's launch of Oculus Rift Pre-Orders was rather manic, with thousands or perhaps even tens of thousands of people trying to buy the headset, despite it coming in at around double the expected cost. To answer some people's concerns and others' hopes for the future, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey took to Reddit shortly after the …

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Yesterday's launch of Oculus Rift Pre-Orders was rather manic, with thousands or perhaps even tens of thousands of people trying to buy the headset, despite it coming in at around double the expected cost. To answer some people's concerns and others' hopes for the future, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey took to Reddit shortly after the pre-orders went live to answer some questions.

The first and foremost question Luckey answered as part of the AMA was related to the price of the consumer Rift. Initially expected to come in at around the $350 mark that the DK2 cost, and eventually rumoured to be a little more, the eventual $600 US and £500 UK price (plus shipping) was a little hard for some to stomach.

However Palmer explained that when he said the CV1 would be in the ballpark of $350, he was comparing it to the overall expected $1,500 of buying the Rift and a high-end PC to run it. He also pointed out that most high-end electronics were around the $600 mark, including consoles (at launch) and high-end smartphones and TVs, both of which are much cheaper to manufacture than the Rift.

Although he didn't specify, the rumour is that the CV1 would cost over $1,000 if some of the hardware wasn't being sold at or below cost. Many of the extras too are said to cost Oculus almost nothing to bundle with the headset, including the Xbox One controller and games. Providing a pack without them would not have had much impact on the price we're told.

Moving forward, Luckey pledged to not make any more ballpark guesses for the price of hardware or content, but said that pricing for media would be similar to traditional platforms like Steam and the various console digital stores. There would also be varied pricing models, with some being free and others being more akin to AAA pricing.

oculuscv1

Looking at gaming in particular, Luckey revealed that there would be over 100 commercial VR titles released before the end of the year, over 20 of which will be Oculus first parties. He also said that he wants to see all games and experiences made available everywhere in the world, but that may occasionally not be possible because of “local policy or technical limitations.”

All Oculus games and experiences should have the same account linked with them, which should make multiplayer hook ups with friends and family easier.

As far as the specifications required to run VR go, Luckey said that the recommended ones, released early in 2015, would guarantee a 90 FPS experience in all titles, but not necessarily the highest visual quality. While all developers will have to make their experiences playable at recommended specs, it will be down to individuals if they want to make them support higher-end hardware too.

Luckey himself though will be running a recommended spec rig so he has the experience that the majority of early adopters will.

He also announced that the cable from your PC to the Rift will be four metres long.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: There's a fair bit of other, more detailed information in the AMA if you want more, but I think we hit the major points here. Kudos to Palmer for admitting some fault in the pre-pre-order pricing details, but he was in a tough spot. The Rift is going to be higher quality at launch than we perhaps yet appreciate and as much as it would be nice if it was cheaper, it's better to get this first-gen right than have a lacklustre product.

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Oculus Rift goes on sale for £530 https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-goes-on-sale-for-530/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-goes-on-sale-for-530/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2016 16:12:49 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=279887 The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is now available for pre-order, priced at $600 (£530 inc. shipping the UK). This is vastly more than the originally projected $300-$350 cost for the consumer head mounted display (HMD), but we were warned previously by Palmer Luckey and several others involved in its development, that despite subsidies, it …

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The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is now available for pre-order, priced at $600 (£530 inc. shipping the UK). This is vastly more than the originally projected $300-$350 cost for the consumer head mounted display (HMD), but we were warned previously by Palmer Luckey and several others involved in its development, that despite subsidies, it wouldn't be cheap.

Regardless of the price though, this is a huge day for virtual reality. The first truly consumer grade, VR HMD is available for public pre-order. With the HTC Vive still a few months away and efforts from other manufacturers still not slated for any particular release, Oculus is first to the table once again.

itshappening

Has it done that at the expense of offering the full package though? While The Oculus Rift CV1 headset first shipments are expected to ship in March, they will not ship with the much lauded Touch motion controls. Although they were always planned to release later, they are now not expected to arrive until the second half of 2016.

In comparison, the HTC Vive, which is expected to debut in April, will ship with its newly refined wand controllers right out of the box. The Rift will come with a wireless Xbox One controller.

Of course even with the Rift now available to pre-order, the quality of the final product, how it compares to the commercial HTC Vive and all sorts of other elements will factor in to which is the preferable platform for VR during this first generation of hardware.

KitGuru Says: Regardless, this is hugely exciting. I have my Rift pre-ordered, what about the rest of you?

 

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Oculus Rift to come with DK1-style carry case https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-to-come-with-dk1-style-carry-case/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-to-come-with-dk1-style-carry-case/#respond Tue, 05 Jan 2016 12:09:45 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=279717 The commercial release of virtual reality hardware is closer than ever before and with the announcement of Oculus Rift CV1 pre-orders opening up on 6th January, the hype train is hitting maximum speed. To help fan the flames of its boiler, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey announced that much like the original DK1 developer model, the …

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The commercial release of virtual reality hardware is closer than ever before and with the announcement of Oculus Rift CV1 pre-orders opening up on 6th January, the hype train is hitting maximum speed. To help fan the flames of its boiler, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey announced that much like the original DK1 developer model, the commercial Rift would come with a hard-plastic carry case.oculuskits

DK1 and DK2 case comparison. Source: In2GPU

The original DK1 was released off-of the back of a very successful Kickstarter campaign and when sent out, came with a solid plastic case to carry it around in. In comparison, the DK2 shipped in a still sturdy, but likely far-cheaper cardboard carry-case. With the CV1 though, we're going back to the original design-ish.

Although no image of the case has yet materialised, it will likely look something like the original. However without the full accessories list, we don't know what the interior or overall size will be like. Additional lenses, cabling, power supplies and potentially a compartment for Oculus Touch controls (for when they are released in the second half of 2016) will all take up extra space, so it will be interesting to see what design is settled on.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: We will be one of the earliest pre-orderers of the Rift and Vive if given the chance, so keep your eyes on KitGuru for plenty of VR coverage as and when the hardware becomes available.

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Oculus Rift will come with another free game: Lucky’s Tale https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-will-come-with-another-free-game-luckys-tale/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-will-come-with-another-free-game-luckys-tale/#comments Thu, 31 Dec 2015 08:47:48 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=279260 Even though it developed the first truly viable, commercial virtual reality solution, Oculus has known from day one that content is king. Which is why it's bundling so much of it with the CV1 headset when it releases in Q1 2016. Along with the already announced Eve: Valkyrie, it's now been confirmed that platformer Lucky's Tale …

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Even though it developed the first truly viable, commercial virtual reality solution, Oculus has known from day one that content is king. Which is why it's bundling so much of it with the CV1 headset when it releases in Q1 2016. Along with the already announced Eve: Valkyrie, it's now been confirmed that platformer Lucky's Tale will also ship with the commercial version of the headset.

Luckey's Tale is a third person game in the vein of Conker's Bad Fur Day, or Banjo Kazooie, though of course this one is played in a virtual dimension, giving a unique perspective to players and some interesting design elements for the developers. Put together by the Playful team as part of Oculus Studios, this will be the first, first-party title the company has put out.

luckystale

As much as it is designed to offer additional content to early adopters, Lucky's Tale has also been given a lot of thumbs up from various independent publications, which described it as having an amazing level of immersion. It seems that by offering both first person and third person experiences right out of the box for early adopters, Oculus is showing that both third and first person titles can be enjoyable and immersive.

In-fact, Lucky's Tale even impressed its namesake, company founder, Palmer Luckey:

“We always believed there was an opportunity for platformers in VR, but it wasn’t until playing Lucky’s Tale and working with the Playful team that we truly realized its potential to change how people view this genre of gaming forever,” he said. “Lucky’s Tale delivers on everything you want in a next-generation VR game – it’s thrilling, full of adventure, and incredibly fun to play.”

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqEm1fXBWKg']

This is however an Oculus Exclusive, so it may be some time before you see it anywhere but on the CV1.

This title adds to the list of bundled extras with the Oculus Rift CV1 headset when it launches sometime in the next few months. Along with Eve: Valykrie, it also comes with an Xbox One controller.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What else do you think Oculus will bundle with the release headset to sweeten the deal?

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Consumer Oculus Rift will have built-in DAC and headphone amp https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/consumer-oculus-rift-will-have-built-in-dac-and-headphone-amp/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/consumer-oculus-rift-will-have-built-in-dac-and-headphone-amp/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2015 09:45:53 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=279156 One of the more noticeable (read: exterior) changes from the Oculus Rift DK2 virtual reality headset, to the CV1 launch model, is the inclusion of built-in headphones. Provided earcups don't have much of a reputation for strong sound reproduction with other products, but Oculus assures us the Rift will do, thanks to its built in …

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One of the more noticeable (read: exterior) changes from the Oculus Rift DK2 virtual reality headset, to the CV1 launch model, is the inclusion of built-in headphones. Provided earcups don't have much of a reputation for strong sound reproduction with other products, but Oculus assures us the Rift will do, thanks to its built in DAC and headphone amplifier.

This was admitted by Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey on Reddit, where he countered someone's point about the company's own influence on audio quality with the Rift. He said it was heavy:

“We control the entire pipeline. The Rift has a built in DAC and amp. Everything is high quality, from the Audio SDK to DAC to amp to the driver modules themselves.”

This will be good news for audiophiles and those hoping for the Rift to achieve a high-level of audio immersion. Binaural audio has been a big development for virtual reality game and experience makers, adding a new level to the realistic feel of the demonstrations.

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Palmer Luckey should know what he's talking about too, as he is a self professed audiophile, so likely will have made sure that the Rift sports high-quality headphones and audio-internals at launch. However, the concern at the other end of that spectrum is one related to cost. If Oculus VR is putting higher-end audio hardware in its head mounted display (HMD), then will that mean a big price hike?

We heard previously that the Rift CV1 will likely end up more expensive than the projected $350 (£235) price tag, but how much more at this point is anyone's guess.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Still, it's better that this first generation of VR hardware is overpriced and becomes more competitive later than launches with a sub-standard experience.

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Palmer Luckey hints that Oculus Rift CV1 may be quite expensive https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/palmer-luckey-hints-that-oculus-rift-cv1-may-be-quite-expensive/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/palmer-luckey-hints-that-oculus-rift-cv1-may-be-quite-expensive/#comments Thu, 24 Dec 2015 11:00:51 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=278968 While we won't be getting an Oculus Rift pre-order option this side of Christmas, we're not far away from being able to put money down on a first-generation, commercial VR solution. That stack of cash may be a bit taller than we initially thought though. In a number of tweets over the past few hours, Oculus …

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While we won't be getting an Oculus Rift pre-order option this side of Christmas, we're not far away from being able to put money down on a first-generation, commercial VR solution. That stack of cash may be a bit taller than we initially thought though. In a number of tweets over the past few hours, Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey seems to have been easing us into the idea that the first generation of the Rift is going to be quite expensive.

oculuscv1

Initially the plan was to have the Rift cost around the same as the developer headsets ($350), but it became clear earlier this year that that wouldn't be the case. On top of spending extra to pre-order the Touch motion controls which will launch later on in 2016, Luckey said that with the Rift CV1 being the first real consumer VR product, it needed to provide a premium experience that everyone wanted, before everyone could have it.

That sentiment was backed up by today's tweets.

When some suggested that the Facebook backed Oculus merely sell the Rift CV1 at cost to keep the price down, Luckey responded that even then the “cost and desired priced,” would not align. The problem, he said, was all of the custom hardware, something that wasn't used in the creation of the devkits.

However it's not necessarily the Rift itself that will be the big expense for commercial grade virtual reality, but the whole package. People will need a decent PC to run it all, with a recommendation for at least GTX 970 or R9 290, over 8GB of RAM and an Intel Core i5 4690 or better.

If you don't meet those specifications now, that's another £250+ on top of the price of the headset itself that you'll need to factor in.

KitGuru Says: How expensive do you think the first generation Oculus Rift will be? I wouldn't be surprised if with the Touch controls, bundled games and Xbox One controller, if it edged towards £500.

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Oculus VR now sending out CV1s, SDK 1.0 to launch-day developers https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/oculus-vr-now-sending-out-cv1s-sdk-1-0-to-launch-day-developers/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/oculus-vr-now-sending-out-cv1s-sdk-1-0-to-launch-day-developers/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2015 08:42:19 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=278819 Oculus VR has known about virtual reality's chicken and egg problem since day one. Without games and experiences ready to play, nobody would buy a VR headset, but without VR headsets, nobody would develop them. It's assuaged that issue with developer kits over the past couple of years and to make sure that there are high quality …

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Oculus VR has known about virtual reality's chicken and egg problem since day one. Without games and experiences ready to play, nobody would buy a VR headset, but without VR headsets, nobody would develop them. It's assuaged that issue with developer kits over the past couple of years and to make sure that there are high quality experiences on day one, it's  now sending out SDK 1.0 and early release “final” hardware to developers.

Not all developers mind you. First it will go out to those that plan to ship a virtual reality game for the Oculus Rift in Q1 2016. Those who plan to do so are encouraged to get in touch with Oculus via its developer portal, where a request can be sent out for an early-release CV1 headset and the final version of the SDK.

oculuscv1

“If you’re shipping a Rift title in Q1, you’ll need early access to Rift hardware and new platform features to finalize your game or application,” Oculus said in a communiqué. “The Rift SDK 1.0 and runtime include features tied to the consumer product, so we’ve currently limited the release to developers putting final touches on launch titles.”

Oculus did say that anyone not developing would still find the best end-user experience with the DK2 headset and the SDK 0.8, which it released previously with improved Windows 10 support.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: We're getting ever so close now guys. We're just a few months away from a near-guaranteed launch date of real, first-generation, commercial VR hardware. I can't wait.

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Oculus Rift CV1 will require four USB ports, 64bit Windows https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-cv1-will-require-four-usb-ports-64bit-windows/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-cv1-will-require-four-usb-ports-64bit-windows/#comments Thu, 17 Dec 2015 18:48:44 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=278556 It was way back in May 2015 that we were given a sneak peak at what the recommended specifications for the Oculus Rift CV1 headset would be and they weren't insubstantial: a GTX 970, i5-4590 and 8GB of RAM. You also needed two USB 3.0 ports, but that's now been updated to say you need …

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It was way back in May 2015 that we were given a sneak peak at what the recommended specifications for the Oculus Rift CV1 headset would be and they weren't insubstantial: a GTX 970, i5-4590 and 8GB of RAM. You also needed two USB 3.0 ports, but that's now been updated to say you need three of those and another USB 2.0 port.

Spotted by the ever vigilant members of the Oculus Subreddit, the addition of extra USB port requirements has many speculating about what they could be for. The DK2, the most current Oculus headset available to end users and developers, required two USB ports: one for the headset and a second for the camera. So what are the others for?

usbrift

Some suggestions have been that two of the ports will be for the Oculus camera sensors, two of which will come with the base set up. The third could be for audio power and possibly tracking data from the headset itself, while the fourth may be for the Xbox One wireless adaptor, as we know that controller is coming part and parcel with the Rift.

The other change made to the specifications is the requirement for 64bit Windows 7 or newer. That seems likely just to be a correction, as there's zero point in having more than 3.2GB of RAM while running a 32bit OS.

This is an interesting development considering how close we are supposed to be to the pre-order and eventual release of the first commercial virtual reality headset from Oculus. Initially pre-orders were slated to be this year, but Oculus founder Palmer Luckey claimed he may need a “rain check,” on that. At the very least though, we know CV1 is launching towards the end of Q1 next year, so this is an addition made in the 11th hour of its development.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What do you think the additional USB ports are for? More importantly though, do you have four-free USB ports available on your PC? Maybe Oculus should bundle a PCIE USB 3.0 add-in card too.

 

 

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Palmer Luckey explains why the Oculus Rift will be fairly expensive https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/palmer-luckey-explains-why-the-oculus-rift-will-be-fairly-expensive/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/palmer-luckey-explains-why-the-oculus-rift-will-be-fairly-expensive/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2015 15:44:03 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=272046 Virtual Reality is brand new technology to the consumer market and the Oculus Rift headset has a lot of support behind it. However, as is the case with most brand new devices, there will be a cost premium associated with being an early adopter. We recently learned that the first consumer Oculus Rift would likely cost …

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Virtual Reality is brand new technology to the consumer market and the Oculus Rift headset has a lot of support behind it. However, as is the case with most brand new devices, there will be a cost premium associated with being an early adopter. We recently learned that the first consumer Oculus Rift would likely cost more than $350, making it a pretty big purchase, even if you already have the graphics horsepower to run one.

While the cost of the Oculus Rift will drop over time, the initial batch is “tasked with convincing the world that it wants VR, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey explained over on Twitter. “Many people will wait a gen or two to adopt, and that is okay.”

sO0A4nYag-NN.878x0.Z-Z96KYq

“If we are successful, nobody will question how cool VR is – it will all be a matter of cost. The opposite would be bad. If people are underwhelmed by VR when they try it, price cuts won't change their mind.”

Virtual reality gaming will get cheaper over time, as long as there is enough demand there for it. On top of that, people adopting VR will also convince publishers to develop for the platform, while there are a lot of studios making projects for VR right now, none of the big publishers have really stepped in to the ring yet. A stronger software library will also likely lead to strong hardware sales, similarly to consoles.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The first Oculus Rift has to impress users when it launches next year, otherwise consumer interest in virtual reality may start to dwindle. While the gaming crowd will be amongst the first to adopt, Oculus has said plenty of times that it doesn't want the Oculus to just appeal to gamers, which is why the device needs to break in to the mainstream. 

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Oculus Toybox demo shows how VR may make us kids again https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/jon-martindale/oculus-toybox-demo-shows-how-vr-may-make-us-kids-again/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/jon-martindale/oculus-toybox-demo-shows-how-vr-may-make-us-kids-again/#respond Wed, 14 Oct 2015 07:43:21 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=271674 There are lots of things that have people excited about virtual reality. There's the potential for a return of light-gun games, where we spend our time gunning down hordes of enemies with pin point accuracy; horror games where we wet ourselves in fear at a terror that is quite literally right behind us; and 360 …

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There are lots of things that have people excited about virtual reality. There's the potential for a return of light-gun games, where we spend our time gunning down hordes of enemies with pin point accuracy; horror games where we wet ourselves in fear at a terror that is quite literally right behind us; and 360 degree movies that may change the face of film making forever. But as it turns out, VR has the potential to give us that sense of child like wonder in incredibly simple experiences, like Toybox.

toybox

Toybox is an internal test platform within Oculus that has evolved into its own gameplay experience. It's been used over the past few months to demonstrate the Touch controller technology that the Facebook property has been working on and many journalists have reported an element of child-like wonder in the game, because it's very reminiscent of the activities we took part in as kids.

There's blocks to build, slingshots to fire at the towers you put together, lasers to shoot gnomes with and puppets that can be manipulated. Better yet, Toybox is a multiplayer space, so you can take a friend and just play around with the surroundings, high-fiving and throwing thumbs up whenever you get the chance.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFEMiyGMa58′]

That's what Oculus showcased in its latest official video and it does indeed look fun. It will be interesting to see if this sort of VR game/experience is always so, or whether it's only as fun as it is now, because VR is so new.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Virtual reality as a whole has this sense of awe that it's difficult to find as an adult. It's great fun putting the headset on and just staring slack jawed at pretty lights. 

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Oculus VR: For now, virtual reality gaming is for hardcore gamers only https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/founder-of-oculus-vr-for-now-virtual-reality-gaming-is-for-hardcore-gamers-only/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/founder-of-oculus-vr-for-now-virtual-reality-gaming-is-for-hardcore-gamers-only/#comments Sat, 27 Jun 2015 14:18:04 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=256354 Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR, claims that while virtual reality gaming will make it to the mainstream market in the future, for a couple of years down the road it will remain a prerogative of hardcore and enthusiast gamers. The VR pioneer confirms that high prices of hardware required to buy a VR …

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Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR, claims that while virtual reality gaming will make it to the mainstream market in the future, for a couple of years down the road it will remain a prerogative of hardcore and enthusiast gamers. The VR pioneer confirms that high prices of hardware required to buy a VR gaming machine will stop many people from adopting the tech, something many analysts have predicted already.

“In these early days, probably for at least two years, VR is going to be primarily for gamers and enthusiasts that are willing to invest in high-end machines,” said Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR, in an interview with Re/Code. “VR is going to become something mainstream, but it is not going to happen right away. You just do not have the horsepower to make it happen on a device, much less a cheap enough and comfortable enough device that a normal consumer is going to want to have.”

It is noteworthy that Mr. Luckey, a number of his colleagues from Oculus VR and developers of graphics processing units, all claim that VR gaming machines will require a lot more compute horsepower than they have today. Keeping that in mind, it is not entirely clear how Sony Corp. plans to enable VR games on its PlayStation 4, which features compute power of a low-end gaming machine.

oculus_vr_virtual_reality_oculus_rift_game_gamer

Performance and prices of hardware is not the only obstacle on the way of virtual reality gaming. Actual content has to be developed with VR in mind, virtual worlds need to be very detailed to be look like real, controls need to be intuitive and a lot of other things need to be worked out. Moreover, in addition to games, other types of content need to become available to attract casual users.

“There’s also going to be more diverse content,” said Mr. Luckey. “Right now, it is almost entirely games, because only the games industry has the tools and the talent to make immersive 3D worlds.”

In order to attract content creators to a platform, one needs to have a large installed base. Different analysts make various predictions regarding sales of the first-gen Oculus VR headset to consumers. Some believe that it will hit two million units and other think that shipments will total five or six million devices in the first year.

Oculus VR Rift virtual reality headset is expected to hit the market in 2016.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is obvious that in the coming years PCs will gain performance and VR gaming will become considerably more affordable. The big question is when: many companies would like to earn additional profits by selling high-end hardware to gamers, who desperately need it…

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Oculus announces ‘Oculus Touch’ controllers for the Rift https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/oculus-announces-oculus-touch-controllers-for-the-rift/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/oculus-announces-oculus-touch-controllers-for-the-rift/#respond Thu, 11 Jun 2015 18:14:38 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=254061 At the Oculus VR event this evening, Palmer Luckey pulled a Steve Jobs with a ‘one more thing…' moment, wrapping up the show with the announcement of Oculus Touch, the dedicated virtual reality controller that will allow you to interact with objects in the virtual world. Update: Palmer Luckey has tweeted that the Oculus Touch …

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At the Oculus VR event this evening, Palmer Luckey pulled a Steve Jobs with a ‘one more thing…' moment, wrapping up the show with the announcement of Oculus Touch, the dedicated virtual reality controller that will allow you to interact with objects in the virtual world.

Update: Palmer Luckey has tweeted that the Oculus Touch will be sold separately from the Rift and will have its own pre-order system, which will launch at the same time as the CV1.

The project was codenamed ‘Half Moon' throughout development. The controllers are designed to bring an authentic hand using experience in to virtual reality. Right now when you use a VR headset, it gets tempting to reach out in to the world around you, except you can't interact with any of it, which is the exact problem Oculus Touch aims to fix.

Oculus Touch

There are two controllers, one for each hand, they are also wireless so you won't have any cables getting in the way. Motion tracking is included, using the same tracking technology found in the Rift headset. Both hand controllers have a thumb stick, two buttons and a trigger, which will allow you to pick up items in the world. Palmer used a virtual gun as an example, which you could then fire .

The Xbox One controller will be included with every Rift headset as it gives developers a base to work with as they know every single Rift owner will have one. This likely means that the Oculus Touch will be sold separately and not necessarily supported in every single game.

Oculus Touch Feature Slide

The controllers both feature haptic feedback to allow you to feel that you are touching something when you interact with items in the virtual world. The controllers also come equipped with sensors to recognize hand gestures, such as waving.

Unfortunately, pricing was not announced, nor were pre-order dates for the Oculus Rift. However, we do know that people will be getting their first hands on experiences with these devices next week at E3 so I imagine we'll be hearing some impressions fairly soon.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: There has been a ton of Oculus news tonight, games were revealed, we've finally seen the final version of the hardware and now we will also have a better way to interact with items in the virtual world with Oculus Touch. Have you guys been following the news this evening? Anything in particular get you excited for the Rift? 

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Oculus finally shows off the consumer Oculus Rift https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/oculus-finally-shows-off-the-consumer-oculus-rift/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/oculus-finally-shows-off-the-consumer-oculus-rift/#comments Thu, 11 Jun 2015 17:42:47 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=254024 Oculus took it upon themselves to kick off E3 a little early with its own virtual reality event today, where it formally revealed the final hardware for the long-awaited consumer version of the Oculus Rift. We now know exactly what VR fans will be buying when the headset lands early next year. As you can …

The post Oculus finally shows off the consumer Oculus Rift first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Oculus took it upon themselves to kick off E3 a little early with its own virtual reality event today, where it formally revealed the final hardware for the long-awaited consumer version of the Oculus Rift. We now know exactly what VR fans will be buying when the headset lands early next year.

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As you can see, the headset looks pretty similar to the leaks Reddit uncovered just a few days ago. There are headphones, although they will be detachable.

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The lenses will be adjustable as everyone's eyes are a little different. The headset has also been designed to be comfortable to wear even with glasses on as well, which will be a bonus for many.

riftcv1-09

The headband goes over the top of your head and joins with the neckband around the back. Apparently the device is light weight and should be pretty comfortable to wear.

While everything looks pretty solid, Brendan Iribe did admit that the screen may not be as high resolution as they would like. However, that is likely down to the fact that today's graphics hardware can't push 90 frames per second at such high resolutions, so some compromises has to be made for the gameplay experience.

Aside from the headset itself, some more announcements were made. Microsoft has teamed up with Oculus to ensure that Rift titles get Direct X 12 support, the headset will also be natively supported in Windows 10 for an easy set up experience. Xbox One controllers will be included with the headset, which is good news at it really is a great gamepad. Jon has more on that, HERE.

This post shall be updated if pricing and pre-orders are announced during the event. Jon and I are watching live so we shall be keeping you all up to date pretty swiftly.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: From what I've seen so far in this live stream, I'm more excited for the Oculus Rift now than ever. Are any of you guys keeping up to date with the news? What do you think of the final version of the Rift? 

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Oculus VR and Microsoft partner over Rift CV1 headset https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/jon-martindale/oculus-vr-and-microsoft-partner-over-rift-cv1-headset/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/jon-martindale/oculus-vr-and-microsoft-partner-over-rift-cv1-headset/#comments Thu, 11 Jun 2015 17:33:04 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=254042 One of the biggest stories coming out of the ongoing pre-E3 Oculus press event, is that it's partnering with Microsoft for several aspects of it. In a move that perhaps shows why Sony is going so hard to develop its own VR hardware and platform, Xbox One games can be streamed to the Rift headset …

The post Oculus VR and Microsoft partner over Rift CV1 headset first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
One of the biggest stories coming out of the ongoing pre-E3 Oculus press event, is that it's partnering with Microsoft for several aspects of it. In a move that perhaps shows why Sony is going so hard to develop its own VR hardware and platform, Xbox One games can be streamed to the Rift headset and it will work natively with Windows 10. More importantly though, the CV1 will ship with an Xbox One wireless controller in the box.

xboxrift

This is huge news for Oculus, in that it means it doesn't need to try and develop its own controller input for base gaming. While VR will have other input mechanisms, for general gaming, the Xbox One controller is the piece of hardware it's chosen. It will also mean a smoother integration with Microsoft's upcoming operating system, Windows 10, which is likely to be hugely popular right off of the bat, thanks to its free upgrade for Windows 7 and 8 users.

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Just look how pleased Phil Spencer is

However this is arguably bigger news for Microsoft/Xbox. To date, its response to Sony's Morpheus has been lukewarm at best. While the Hololens certainly offered an interesting idea for certain applications, it isn't as gaming focused as Sony's headset. With the Oculus partnership it becomes clear why it hasn't done it's own thing: it just piggybacked Oculus.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

Kitguru Says: Now too, it will be able to offer VR experiences for almost all of its Xbox One games. It may need to figure out how to get them running at a decent frame rate, but we'll see how that pans out. 

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Palmer Luckey corrects us on Oculus Rift CV rumours https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/palmer-luckey-corrects-us-on-oculus-rift-cv-rumours/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/palmer-luckey-corrects-us-on-oculus-rift-cv-rumours/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2015 11:27:51 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=234160 For anyone that's tried an Oculus Rift DK1, DK2 or better yet, a Crescent Bay prototype, one of the most common questions on their lips is: “when will the consumer version be released?” As if dangling a golden VR carrot in-front of our face, Oculus Story Studio's supervision technical director, Max Planck, teased us with …

The post Palmer Luckey corrects us on Oculus Rift CV rumours first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
For anyone that's tried an Oculus Rift DK1, DK2 or better yet, a Crescent Bay prototype, one of the most common questions on their lips is: “when will the consumer version be released?” As if dangling a golden VR carrot in-front of our face, Oculus Story Studio's supervision technical director, Max Planck, teased us with the idea earlier this month that May could see the device released, but Palmer Luckey, the Rift's inventor, has now come forward to debunk that and some other rumours.

“There is a lot of incorrect information in this article – Max is a new hire,” Luckey said in a post on Reddit. “He is not directly involved with Rift, nor is he an expert on many of the associated technologies like tracking or low-persistence,” Luckey continued, pointing out that Panck's main focus at the company was helping to develop 360 degree video content for it, rather than having anything to do with hardware development.

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Oculus Story Studios recently released its first short film, Lost

He also suggested that while he couldn't clarify with “concrete info,” May is nothing special for Oculus VR and that while Planck had suggested a $300-$400 price tag for the consumer version of the Rift, there was no nailed down pricing plan as of yet.

For those of you hoping for a CV Rift with wireless connectivity, keep dreaming too, as due to latency issues we're a long way off of that according to Luckey. He did point out though that all internal demos, even the prettiest and most highest of high end experiences are run on a $2,000 gaming PC fitted with a GTX 980.

Luckey also said that alternative tracking technologies would not be used for the first consumer version of the Rift. “No one wants CV1 held up for tech that may never come!” he said.

KitGuru Says: Hopefully Planck's position at Oculus isn't in jeopardy after this gaff. He did seem genuinely enthusiastic about developing 360 degree Rift content. 

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