Facebook announces new $199 Oculus headset

By Heather Hamilton, contributing writer

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg announced Wednesday the introduction of a new virtual reality headset that operates without a separate computer, unlike the current Oculus Rift. At a conference for virtual reality developers in San Jose, Zuckerberg said that the device, termed the “Oculus Go,” will cost $199 and be available early next year, ahead of rivals. The headset offers a 360° panoramic view of faraway and imaginary spaces and was introduced in concept last year at the same conference.

Reports indicate that Facebook has heavily invested in the technology, paying $3 billion to acquire Oculus and employees in 2014, and hopes to move from a niche market to the go-to gaming, communication, and business application platform.

HTC Corp makes the Oculus Go. “I think you’re going to see these a lot on airplanes because it’s way better than the back-of-the-seat monitor or my phone,” says Facebook chief technology officer Mike Schroepfer. He said that the device is marketing toward individuals who do not have Samsung smartphones, as Oculus and Samsung offer a similar device. Other competitors include Google Daydream, which works with a variety of smartphones.

The headset works without cables and is meant to be a higher-quality version of cheaper headsets currently on the market that are powered by user smartphones. Zuckerberg believes that the headset fills the gap between the Rift and other portable VR headsets. “That high-quality affordable experience that doesn’t tether you to a PC,” he explained. “Oculus Go is the most accessible VR experience ever.”

“The Oculus Go has the potential to be a huge driver of growth if people like the titles and apps on it,” says Stephanie Llamas, vice president of research at Super Data. Super Data research indicates that approximately 213,000 Rift systems will ship this year, as well as 305,000 HTC Vive systems.

Users can expect the Oculus Rift to permanently go down in price, from $499 to $399, as a result of the new product and in an attempt to draw more users. The company is also working on software that creates virtual rooms in which friends can meet, called Facebook Spaces, and will also integrate live video capabilities.

Zuckerberg is looking to go big or go home and hopes to get 1 billion people in virtual reality, a goal that just might be attainable given their three other billion-user products, which include Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp. “If we’re going to get a billion people in VR, we have to work on both affordability and quality,” he said. “We have to find the sweet spot in the middle. The high quality experience that doesn’t tether anybody to a PC.”

Sources: Reuters, Recode
Image Source: Oculus.com