Oculus will be shipping its standalone headset in 2018. The company is currently investigating various options within the standalone space, and continues working on its Santa Cruz prototype.
The company does not intend to replace the Rift with this prototype. An Oculus delegate provided the following statement: “We don’t have a product to unveil at this time, however we can confirm that we’re making several significant technology investments in the standalone VR category. This is in addition to our commitment to high-end VR products like Oculus Rift and mobile phone products like Gear VR.”
All-in-one
The Oculus’ all-in-one VR headset has not been demonstrated since a prototype debuted at Oculus Connect in 2016. A brand-new report however suggests the company will next year launch an all-in-one headset for just $200. The headset is believed to have the codename Pacific and will include an interface resembling Oculus and Samsung’s Gear VR mobile headset. A phone will not be required, as Pacific will include all necessary components built into the machine. One source has stated that the device will weigh less than Gear VR, and will be controlled with a wireless remote. This device might not be the same as the Santa Cruz headset introduced at Oculus Connect.
A Bloomberg report mentions Santa Cruz as a separate prototype to Pacific, which should enable similar experiences to what users would see on PC, without needing the rig. Could Facebook perhaps be working on two standalone devices that vary in processing power? Can Pacific provide experiences similar to current mobile VR apps?
If so, then this could set Pacific up against Google’s upcoming WorldSense headsets, which are standalone devices with positional tracking that support the company’s Daydream mobile VR ecosystem. If this proves to be true, then Oculus will once more be competing with HTC and its WorldSense headset that will be released this year. Both are at present competing in the high-end VR space with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Keep reading VR-NEWS.nu for more updates on this matter.
Bloomberg, UploadVR
