Oculus Rift finally gets consumer version and actual release date

I don't know about you guys, but I've been waiting for this since the Oculus Rift's conception! This technology, although simple in concept, will lead us to a lot of interesting custom adaptations. Hopefully we'll see the same unintentional uses we saw with the Xbox Kinect. Here's the info!

After several years of speculation — really since the thing first hit Kickstarter in 2012 — Oculus VR has finally announced a consumer version of its Oculus Rift PC-based virtual reality headset. The first units will begin shipping to buyers in the first quarter of 2016, with preorders starting “later this year.” By that point, the Rift will hopefully fulfill the promise that several iterations of developer kits have hinted at: an actual ecosystem, at least one killer app of some kind, and seamlessly integrated hardware and software.

The company said the new version will “build on the presence, immersion, and comfort of the Crescent Bay prototype,” with an improved tracking system that supports seated and standing experiences. If the accompanying vendor-supplied photos are anything to go by, it will also look considerably cooler than before, and perhaps be more comfortable to wear and use as well.

Source

So, what do you think? Are you going to pick one up too?

a reply to: Ghost147

I am both excited and terrified by the Oculus Rift's impending release.

Huh, wait, I thought it was already out. I've seen a lot of videos of people on youtube playing stupid, horrifying games on it.

I'll give it a good test run before deciding. Hopefully some ATS scouts can give us a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" on the quality of the equipment and technology.

a reply to: Charizard

Those are just the developer kits.

The final product will FINALLY be out early next year.
I was seriously considering the Hololens instead, however after the latest reviews on the demo models people were invited to try, I think I might just do the oculus instead, especially since it has some sort of date attached to when we all can get a real working product.
I've been waiting for some sort of worth while VR for years!

The technical details aside this is a major breakthrough. It's very immersive. People with vision problems like "lazy eye" or focus problems find that the device "corrects" the problem. In the video above one can see how quickly the experience "wows" the elders.











In this video he falls over. Right out of the chair onto the floor. Apparently it is so immersive that it induces vertigo.


Mike Grouchy

Heh, get ready for Facebook's subliminal messaging. Still wonder what other reason a billion dollar company could want with a little old VR company.

I can see having to sign into facebook to use my rift.
Or get some annoying popup on my field of view showing suckerbergs stupid looking face every five minutes.

I have no idea why Facebook would seriously want this. I am also disappointed that they sold it to facebook, but I mean I have been told 2 billion dollars is a hell of an incentive.

I own a DK2, and have done some development with it. Super easy to do with game engines like Unity 3D, just drag and drop a prefab Oculus camera in the scene.

My only issue is with the resolution. It's like looking through a screen door. If the consumer version doesn't have better resolution I will have to pass on this release until it does.

a reply to: Ghost147

So, what do you think? Are you going to pick one up too?

That depends on the price but if it's within reach then yeah , as a motor racing and FPS fan I think the temptation may be too great to resist ..... GTA V on Oculus ....Sold.

a reply to: gortex

I think I read somewhere that they would be about the same price as the development kits,
so I am guessing around 350 bucks.

That is affordable if you have a computer that can handle the games. I don't, so I will have to get a new computer and the price just shot up for me,
but I'm willing to pay...lol

Skyrim on an Oculus....
I will shrivel up and waste away...

rotfl

I had a Dk1 and Dk2. This is ligit VR and will blow your mind.

i could see a potential down the road for a friend based vr chat community via avatar. Just a thought.
a reply to: snowen20

a reply to: Ghost147

Its really cool, but its probably going to be most popular for porn. Lol

The potential is amazing. We may one day have surrogates. Drone soldiers and mech. Remotely operated rescue workers, doctors.....This is part of the necessary components to that evolution of technology.

I hope to be one of the first people in line when the Oculus Rift and the Hololens come out.

I remember when VR was supposed to be the next "big thing" back in the 90's, but the technology wasn't quite ready for it yet.

With the Hololens, I want a Stellarium type app that I can pin to my ceiling.

I have a evil use for this tech. There is a Anime called,"sword art online" with a similiar device called a nervegear. Except this one stops your motor function so you can play without arms flailing about. But...what happens when someone such as a psychopath creates a game that becomes very popular. then turns the tech against the users and in effect holds them hostage and also makes it so if you die in the game your brain shuts down killing your body IRL. Trying to forcefully unplug them also resorts in death as well. Leaving one way out. defeating the psychopath.

Yeah its a ANIME but it could become quite real with advancement of this tech.

I'm waiting for it as well.

I almost bought one of the beta developer kits after seeing a demo of the occulus rift playing Alien Isolation.

I hope this really works as well as the PR is claiming.

a reply to: yuppa

Im sure someone, yuppa, somewhere... is thinking right along those lines...

I will not be going near this thing. It will be beaming messages into your head piggybacking on signal you are not even aware register in the brain. I will not be accepting the Devil's lies directly into my head thank you.

Notice each generation finds a way to keep the citizens from ever leaving their homes. It will be like the movie surrogates, people just rotting away in a chair, pretending to be experiencing the world, but only fooling themselves. This device will simply integrate normal computer abilities like banking and shopping and social networking after a few models, and record numbers of people after a generation will be not leaving their home for anything, except maybe work.

No, no, the more brain killing technology advances, the more I spit on it and toss it away. I am not even sure how much longer I will be owning a PC to communicate online.

a reply to: DYepes

No, no, the more brain killing technology advances

It's all about how you use it. You are aware that you can do an almost unlimited amount of learning on the internet via your PC or other device? Not sure how that's brain killing...