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Oculus Is Killing Off Rift In Favor Of Standalone VR Headsets Like Quest 2

The new Oculus Quest 2 is coming next month, and Oculus says it will be focusing on standalone VR headsets moving forward.

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At the Facebook Connect presentation today, the company officially announced the Oculus Quest 2, the next-generation standalone headset coming October 13. This will also signal a new approach for Oculus going forward, as the company says it will be shifting its focus exclusively to standalone headsets.

A note on the Oculus Blog says that the company will no longer pursue PC-only hardware, but the Rift platform will continue with Oculus Link:

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"We're going to focus on standalone VR headsets moving forward. We'll no longer pursue PC-only hardware, with sales of Rift S ending in 2021. That said, the Rift Platform isn't going anywhere. In fact, we've seen significant growth in PC VR via Oculus Link, and the Rift Platform will continue to grow while offering high-end PC VR experiences like Lone Echo 2 and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond well into the future."

Oculus Quest 2 is 10% lighter than the original Quest, and will include the headset and two Touch controllers, which have been redesigned for ergonomics based on the Rift controller designs. The headset will include positional audio without the use of headphones as well.

As part of the presentation, Oculus also announced new Ubisoft games in development, including a new Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell designed for Oculus. In GameSpot's Oculus Quest 2 review, editor Mat Paget found the new device is "an excellent VR headset that is well worth your time and money, especially if you don't already own the original headset." For more details, check out our Oculus Quest 2 preorder guide.

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lostn

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well that's disappointing as someone who wants the full experience without needing to pay for a mobile phone processor built in that I won't use.

Yes I know you can buy Oculus Link cable and run it that way, but I'm still paying for internal graphics/CPU hardware that I don't need, and a standalone VR experience with tacked on PCVR experience is never going to be as good as a dedicated PCVR headset designed specifically for that purpose.

I guess I will switch to the competition. I was likely going to do that anyway after Zuckerberg forced Facebook onto Oculus users.

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Avatar image for Groudon199
Groudon199

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How about they kill off forcing people to login with Facebook next?

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BDRTFM

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Man, it feels like every 6 months they're coming out and saying that expensive headset you have is now obsolete. Buy this one instead. You'd think they were selling iPhones.

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uninspiredcup

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@bdrtfm: To be fair the Quest 2 is incredibly cheap. Like, shockingly cheap. Was honestly expecting $500+ mark.

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Blk_Mage_Ctype

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I really feel bad for early adopters of these VR Headsets, they paid a lot of money in return for underused, under-explored technology, received few games which really made innovative use of the hardware, and they've all been replaced one by one with newer models. Granted that the Rift has had some of the best, longest-lasting continued support of any of the headsets, (unlike the VIVE) but it still seems like it cost more than it ever delivered, at least from the perspective of an outsider like me who never invested in a VR Headset.

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digitalheadbutt

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@Blk_Mage_Ctype: As an early adopter I can say many of us got in early so they could develop the technology. Especially the Kickstarter era backers. My gen1 retail headset is still kicking ass so I will ride it out until at least Lone Echo 2.

I am more irritated with the Facebook integrations and the general shitbagish nature of Zuck. Then again, Palmer Lucky was also a giant cockbag so I guess fun stuff is made my shitty people and we all can get over it or not have that particular level of fun.

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uninspiredcup

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@Blk_Mage_Ctype: Pretty sure Quest 2 games also work on Rift.

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uninspiredcup

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Unfortunate, but kind of expected.

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