Oculus Go is here!
At Oculus Connect 4, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Oculus is working a new headset that sits in a "sweet spot" somewhere between Gear VR and Rift.
Officially called Oculus Go, this headset requires no phone and no cables running to the PC. It will be able to play movies, run games, and help you meet up with friends in VR. We've got the details for you here!
May 1, 2018 Update: Ordering goes live on Amazon and news from F8 Conference!
Last night the Oculus Go pre-order page on Amazon was created. There were no confirmed cases of people actually being able to pre-order the headset overnight. Furthermore, the release date mentioned on the page was originally a staggering "December of 2018." Don't get discouraged, however. Whenever a new page is created on Amazon but hasn't gone live yet the date will always read "December of 2018." This is something I can understand gets confusing quickly.
Onto the real deal, what happened during the Key Note of F8? First, devs were greeted at the door this morning with a sign stating there would be updates for Oculus Go during the conference. Then, finally. The most anticipated news of the VR community has been released. Oculus Go will be shipping today. Getting an official date instead of "sometime before summer of 2018". Get ready, VR nerds, it's time to take VR to a mobile headset. Tell us in the comment section below what you plan on doing as soon as you get your headset! Keep an eye out on Amazon for the buying option to go live!
After checking out the available ways of buying the headset it turns out there are two different memory options! You can get the 32GB headset for $199 and the 64GB headset for $249.
Click here to read more on which headset you should buy, 32GB or 64GB?
"The graphics were crisp across my view without any distortion at the corners with the games I played."
Lori Gil, who is newer to the VR community, go to try out the Oculus Go during GDC 2018. Check out what she has to say about it here.
"Oculus Go, in my opinion, is positioned to be the first true consumer-focused VR system to bring new people into the fold. No, it's not a top-quality device with all the bells and whistles, but it is completely self-contained so the initial investment is minimal. For $200, you can get started with VR. You don't need a special phone, you don't even need a phone at all! You don't need a special computer or graphics card or game console. It's the perfect starter VR device. Once new users get into VR through Oculus Go, they can then decide whether to move on to something more powerful if they're ready to go all-in, or stick with the entry-level device if they discover they're not heavy VR players. I can't wait to get one."
So, there you have it. Whether you're new to VR or an avid user I can't see anyone being disappointed with this device. Even when it comes to comfort Lori mentions "- just a little top-heavy (by comparison with the Rift, the Go has a bit of extra weight). I could feel some pressure on my cheeks, but the headset was definitely designed to counter the extra battery weight."
The Oculus company truly put a lot of thought and planning into making a VR device that can be enjoyed by all. So, even if you're a new VR player, this is still the device for you.
Click the link below to your own Oculus Go headset!
What is Oculus Go?
Oculus Go is the third headset from Oculus, and it's meant to sit between Gear VR and Oculus Rift. A cordless headset, you'll no longer have to strap in with your PC or have enough juice on your phone in order to play in VR.
It is built to be lightweight, has a new mesh foam interface, and it supposedly has the best visual clarity so far seen in VR, thanks to new lenses and a WQHD LCD fast-switch display with a higher fill-factor than OLED. We learned at CES 2018 that Oculus Go is going to be made by Xiaomi, and it will be run by a Snapdragon 821 processor making it more than capable of playing the awesome games that are going to be available.
Oculus says this headset lives somewhere in between the Gear VR and Oculus Rift, but it leans much closer to the Gear VR than you might expect. This is a standalone headset, meaning the computer is inside the headset with the display, but it's still an Android-powered headset. The good news is this means it will run many of the apps currently available for the Gear VR. That means the headset will not let you walk around and do much. Functionally, this will be very similar to the Gear VR.
Read more: Lenovo Mirage vs Oculus Go
Whats the difference between Oculus Go and Gear VR?
To begin with, Oculus Go is a stand-alone headset. This means no need to be wired into your computer like Oculus Rift, or the need for a top of the line phone like with Gear VR. It's a middle of the road option that is priced affordably in an effort to draw in new users to help Oculus reach their goal of one billion VR users.
Instead of including headphones with the headset, a spatial audio experience is built right into the headset. That is spatial speakers that are built on the rails of the headset to let you hear what's going on clearly without headphones. Of course, if you'd rather go with classic headphones, you can plug a set of your own into a 3.5mm jack. Oculus Go will have a controller similar to that of Gear VR, meaning devs can create apps that work on both platforms.
Indeed, a lot of the Gear VR's best apps will be available for the Oculus Go from day one. The controller employs three degrees of freedom (DoF), which is the same as the Gear VR controller. It's interesting to note that the Go headset will also use three DoF. To put that into perspective, the Oculus Rift uses six DoF.
Oculus Go will also have access to its own catalog of games and apps to dive into on launch day. While ports of Gear VR games are sure to show up, you'll be getting access to new content with Oculus Go. From the photos we've seen of Oculus Go, there is also a fairly pared down look compared to Gear VR. No touchpad on the side of the headset, and only two buttons on the top; volume controls, and a power button.
Games and Experiences
Since we have been notified that Gear VR apps and games will be compatible with Oculus Go we know we'll have plenty to keep us occupied! Not every Gear VR game will be available to the Oculus Go, but there are still 1,000+ titles available that I don't see you getting bored in the next foreseeable future.
When is it launching?
Today during the F8 conference they finally announced the Oculus Oculus Go will be shipping May 1, 2018 (today!). Click the link below to get yours!
How much will it cost?
You'll be able to pick up this standalone headset for a tidy sum of $199. Considering Gear VR alone costs $129.99 and requires a top of the line smartphone, this is pretty exciting news!
Are you excited?
For now, we don't have a ton of information about everything that Oculus Go will be able to offer, but that should be changing soon. However, the details we do have are definitely worth getting excited about, especially since this is a stand-alone headset, with an affordable price tag. Are you excited about Oculus Go, or are you sticking with another Oculus headset? Let us know about it in the comments below!
Updated May 1, 2018: Oculus Go is now available to purchase!
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