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Oculus Rift: Everything You Need To Know
A new era of virtual reality launches soon
Michael Grothaus
16:47, 11 Jan 2016
It’s very likely 2016 will be the year gaming changed forever. That’s because there’s a slew of high profile virtual reality devices ready to launch this year including the Sony PlayStation VR and the HTC Vive. But without a doubt the biggest VR launch of the year will be the Oculus Rift. This is the device that most people think of when they think “virtual reality”. It will immerse us heads first into a world where we can look around and see digital objects that are just as lifelike as physical ones.
The application of VR headsets is virtually unlimited, but of course a majority of consumers will be getting into them for the gaming, which promises to be a quantum leap compared to our flat screen 2D console games we’ve been used to for almost 30 years. But just what is the Oculus Rift and where do you get one? Here’s everything you need to know.
Oculus Rift: What is it?
The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality device consisting of headset, sensor, remote, and controller. There’s no traditional console box because you wear the device on your head. The device acts as goggles that immerse you in a 360 degree virtual reality experience. The included sensor and controller allows you to interact with whatever app or game you are playing.
In a blog post Oculus described the latest consumer version of the Rift: “The Oculus Rift builds on the presence, immersion, and comfort of the Crescent Bay prototype with an improved tracking system that supports both seated and standing experiences, as well as a highly refined industrial design, and updated ergonomics for a more natural fit.”
Oculus Rift: Where did it come from?
The current craze of VR headsets can be tracked back to one person: Palmer Luckey, the man who founded Oculus. When he was a teenager he has a fascination with relatively primitive VR tech, which has been around since the 1980s. This lead him to creating his own VR headset—the Oculus Rift, which was successfully funded on Kickstarter and then shortly after received a massive $2 billion buyout from Facebook.
Oculus Rift: What do I need to use the Rift?
The Oculus Rift works by plugging into your PC’s USB port and tracks your head movements by the built-in and external sensors. It will not work as a stand alone device. The Rift will support a range of PCs. The minimum specs you’ll need are a 2.4GHz quad-core CPU and a 64GB HDD, and a Nvidia 9800 or AMD 4870 graphics card, which each requires 1GB of dedicated RAM.
However, in order to get the full experience with the best graphics, a PC with an NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD 290 equivalent or greater, an Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater, and 8GB+ RAM is recommended.
Despite the fact that the Oculus Rift comes with an Xbox One controller, you won’t be able to plug it into the Xbox to play games. You’ll still need a Windows 10 PC. However, the Xbox One is expected to gain functionality that lets it stream some games and content right to the Oculus Rift.
Oculus Rift: Is Microsoft involved?
Eh, a bit. Not in the sense that they own or make the Oculus Rift in any way. Instead they have been partnering with Facebook to support the Oculus Rift via things like Xbox One streaming and adding support for the Xbox One controller. However, you can tell Microsoft sees Oculus as an important partner since Playstation is coming out with their own VR headset, which will require a PS4, later this year.
Oculus Rift: Operating system
Like any other gaming device, the Oculus Rift will have its own OS, called Oculus Home. When you put on the goggles you’ll see a home screen that resembles the Xbox dashboard. It will have different sections for content, storefronts, social media, and tiled previews.
Oculus Rift: What apps and games are supported?
No doubt more and more games and apps will be announced closer to when the device ships. For now Oculus Rift users can expect to see game titles including EYE: Valkyrie, Lucky’s Tale, Chronos, Edge of Nowhere, Damage Core, VR Sports Challenge, Esper, and AirMechVR.
Oculus Rift: When can I get it and how much does it cost?
Well, the good news is you can preorder the Oculus Rift now. It’s US price is $599 plus tax and shipping. That equals about £410 here in the UK. For that price you’ll get the Oculus Rift headset, an Xbox One controller, a remote, the Oculus sensor, and two games: EYE: Valkyrie and Lucky’s Tale.
People who preorder now will receive the device in March of this year. Other consumers can expect to see it on store shelves around June.