Oculus VR has unveiled its next-generation Rift headset, called the Rift S. The design is a high-end option with a boosted screen resolution and PC tethering cable for higher-powered visuals, but it does borrow from the more accessible headsets like the Oculus Go and Oculus Quest to make setup and usage a little easier than its first-generation counterpart.
It's been almost three years since the original Oculus Rift CV1 launched to much acclaim. While it lacked the motion tracking controllers that would complete the VR experience later that year, it was a high-end headset with solid tracking and great visuals. We'd argue that the Vive was and is still a better piece of kit, but the Rift was far from poor. The Rift S looks to build on that with some new, exciting features.
The most obvious improvement is the resolution, which is now 1,280 x 1,440 per eye. However, this is achieved with a single LCD display, instead of the original Rift's 1,080 x 1,200 (per eye) pair of OLED displays. That means that the visuals are more detailed (by about 1.4 times) but that colors and blacks aren't as rich. It also only operates at 80Hz, versus the 90Hz of the original Rift.
Another major change is the addition of inside-out tracking. There are no Constellation cameras with this headset. It instead uses five camera sensors on the exterior of the Rift to track the player's location in the room and the location of the controllers. That does present some problems with occlusion, but also means that new owners can play roomscale games out of the box without the need for much setup or sensor angle limitations.
The minimum specifications for the Rift S will be the same as the Rift, and the price will be the same as the Oculus Quest at $400. What we don't have is a release date, but we're told it will be coming this spring alongside the more mid-range solution.
