Alongside the launch of the Oculus Go, Facebook also announced Oculus TV, a way for you to binge on your favorite TV shows in VR.
The Oculus Go, a standalone virtual reality headset, is now available at oculus.com in 23 countries, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at the F8 2018 annual developers conference this week. Zuckerberg made a few VR-related announcements that comes amid the backlash the company has been facing over the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, which he also addressed on Tuesday. Alongside the launch of the Oculus Go, Facebook also announced Oculus TV, a way for you to binge on your favorite TV shows in VR.
Talking about the Oculus Go first, the standalone VR headset was first unveiled in October last year as an affordable wearable that does not have to be connected to a computer or require a mobile phone. The $199 (approx Rs 13,200) wearable comes with a WQHD (2560 x 1440) LCD display inside with a 538ppi. It comes in two storage variants starting at 32GB and going up to 64GB which will cost $249.
The Oculus Go also features a built-in spatial audio along with an integrated audio. The headset will offer an experience similar to the Gear VR, the only difference being that the Oculus Go does not require a phone while the Gear VR only works with some Samsung phones. This makes the Oculus Go a lot more accessible for people who own a non-Samsung phone or an iPhone. It also comes with limited motion-tracking capabilities compared to the Oculus Rift. The Oculus Go also supports over a 1,000 titles that include games and apps like Netflix, Hulu, Discovery VR and Jurassic World Blue, among many others.
Entertainment apps like Hulu and SHOWTIME will also be part of Oculus TV, a new way to experience television content from within the VR headset. Oculus TV will bring a custom-built 3D environment with a giant screen and a seating area that will give users the experience of sitting in a virtual living room or a theater by yourself or with friends. Oculus TV will come out later this month and the company plans to partner with more content providers like Pluto TV, Red Bull TV, and the Facebook video app for TV, among others.
In addition to Oculus TV, the company also announced Oculus Rooms for Oculus Go. Rooms which is a virtual chatroom where you and your friends can “hang out” and play games, watch TV and movies, share photos and listen to music. There’s also Oculus Venues which is an app that will allow you to experience live events like concerts, sports and stand-up shows in VR.
The Oculus Go portable VR headset is available at oculus.com and select retailers in the US including Amazon and Best Buy. There is no word yet on whether the Go will come to India.
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