Today during a developer conference in San Jose, CA, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to the stage to announce the new Oculus Go headset. It’s a standalone virtual reality headset which Oculus touts as “the easiest way to jump into VR.” It doesn’t require a smartphone or PC to operate either, hence the term “standalone.”
It’s also just $199. This is a fraction of the price of the full-blown Oculus Rift which just got a price cut to $399. Surely, the $200 price tag will look much more appealing to consumers who want to dip their toes in the world of VR. The headset even works with existing Samsung Gear VR experiences and pack the same controllers. The Go is pretty much set up to be a great introductory for anyone who’s interested in virtual reality.
As for features, the Go headset is lightweight and has breathable fabric for the facial interface, according to Oculus. There are two new lenses for viewing content through with a QHD screen to display everything. The headset even ships with integrated spacial audio which doesn’t require a set of headphones. Of course, if you wish, there’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack for personal listening.
Oculus says the Go headset is perfect for “watching movies or concerts, playing games, or just hanging out with your friends in VR.” It’ll start shipping next year at the $199 price point.
