The Oculus Rift S sits at a crossroads. In one direction is the Oculus Quest, a standalone headset that doesn’t require being tethered to a gaming PC, for the same price as the Rift S. In the other direction is the upcoming Valve Index, at more than double the price but with 144Hz screens and much more advanced sensors for things like finger tracking. In the middle is the
The Oculus Rift S sits at a crossroads. In one direction is the Oculus Quest, a standalone headset that doesn’t require being tethered to a gaming PC, for the same price as the Rift S. In the other direction is the upcoming Valve Index, at more than double the price but with 144Hz screens and much more advanced sensors for things like finger tracking. In the middle is the Rift S, replacing the outgoing original Oculus Rift.
Let’s start with what the Rift S does well. Visually, it offers a 1280×1440 display (per eye), an upgrade over the Rift’s 1200×1080. After spending a few hours smashing bots in Robo Recall or fiddling around with the virtual desktop, it’s clear that the new headset offers improved viewing experience, despite the modest resolution bump. I didn’t notice the ‘screen-door’ effect at all while playing games, though it’s slightly noticeable when reading text on menus or the virtual desktop. One downside is the display runs at 80Hz instead of the previous Rift’s 90Hz.
Technical Specs
Tracking: Six-DOF head and hand tracking via internal camerasResolution: 2560×1440 total (1280×1440 per eye)Refresh Rate: 80HzAudio: Integrated speakers and microphone, 3.5mm jackCable Length: 5 metersCable outputs: DisplayPort 1.2, USB 3.0Weight: 563g
The other highlight of the Rift S is its tracking system.
