Facebook-owned Oculus has a VR headset Rift, which retails for $499. There is currently an offer for a limited period where customers can pick it up for $100 less at $399. However, Facebook feels that the device must be able to reach a larger section of the public for which its price has to be lowered even further.
With this objective, there is now information that Oculus will be launching a new wireless VR headset under the same Rift brand or some other name. The project within the company is being pursued under the name “Pacific”.
The new VR headset will be launched only in 2018, but some minimal details are already being discussed about the device. The significant part of the device would be that it would be a standalone VR without the requirement for being paired with a smartphone or a PC through tethering.
And it will be wireless, making it very convenient for the users. This product will be manufactured in China by Xiaomi and the manufacturer will be allowed to use some branding of their own within the Chinese market, whilst in rest of the world, it will be an Oculus VR headset only.
Facebook expects to come out with improved graphics on the new VR headset and a suitable mobile processor from Snapdragon would be fitted on the device. The new Oculus VR headset is also likely to be lighter in weight to the other comparable products including Samsung’s Gear VR.
The wireless VR segment itself appears to be in for a lot of activity in the coming months. Google has already announced that it is working on its Daydream platform and has entered into manufacturing arrangements with HTC and Lenovo. HTC has its own set of plans for bringing out a wireless VR head set. Google’s plans include provision of a new camera, using the augmented reality (AR) plus full positional tracking.
And amidst all this, Samsung is not going to be sitting quiet. If all these efforts result in the customers benefitting with a wide range of devices to choose from and at budget prices, it would be a win-win situation all around.