The consumer version of the Oculus Rift virtual reality gaming headset is likely to run off Google’s Android operating system, according to the company’s Chief Technology Officer.
Legendary games developer John Carmack, who is heading up the device, said the headset will probably take the form of a standalone Android system that boasts a smartphone-like processor.
In an interview with Engadget the man responsible for Doom, Quake, Rage, Wolfenstein 3D and others said: “The way I believe it’s going to play out is you will eventually have a head-mounted display that probably runs Android, as a standalone system, that has a system-on-a-chip that’s basically like what you have in mobile phones.”
Carmack also confirmed that a new developer kit is under construction, which will make it to those keen to create immersive gaming experiences before the finished product goes on sale next year.
In a year where Microsoft and Sony are both launching next-generation consoles, the Oculus Rift has stood out as perhaps the most intriguing solution, due to its fully immersive, head-mounted display that appears to offer the best hope for the long-promised future of virtual reality gaming.
Those who’ve gone heads-on have overwhelmingly given Rift the thumbs up, but the device isn’t quite ready for the big time just yet. It still has some kinks to work out, primarily the head tracking elements, according to Carmack.
He added: “A lot of the work at Oculus has gone into working out better position tracking. The tracking side is something that there hasn’t been as much of a push for and we’re frantically working on a lot of that, because that is one of the other really large issues. But we expect that the next developer kit will have higher resolution and position tracking addressing some of these significant issues.”
The company is yet to announce its retail strategy for getting the headset upon the bonces of eager gamers, with Carmack saying there is debate within Oculus regarding how to handle it.
Head over to the source for the full video inteview. Also, check out our own hands on Oculus Rift review.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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