Oculus has announced a new VR headset called the Rift S that brings higher resolution displays, improved comfort and, best of all, built-in tracking that means you don’t need to set up any room sensors.
The Oculus Rift S will go on sale alongside the forthcoming Oculus Quest (read our Oculus Quest review), with the latter being a standalone headset for more casual gamers who don’t have a PC.
If you do have a PC with the same minimum spec requirements as the original Rift headset, then the Rift S will bring higher res visuals and a more hassle-free setup to all of the same games you’ve been able to enjoy on Oculus’ platform.
So how long will you need to wait to enjoy the new Rift S and what are its main features? Here’s everything you need to know.
Oculus Rift S price and release date – When is it out and how much will it cost?
The Oculus Rift S is going to be available to buy for $399 from Spring 2019.
Oculus hasn’t given us an exact UK price or release date yet, but we’ve asked them to confirm both and will update this article as soon as we hear.
That release date and price is exactly the same as the Oculus Quest, which means the VR company will have two new options for both types of VR gamers from Spring – those with PCs, and more casual gamers who don’t.
Oculus Rift S features – How is it different from the original Rift headset?
The Oculus Rift S brings two main upgrades over its predecessor – high-resolution goggles and built-in tracking.
It has a 2560 x 1440 resolution, which means you get 1280 x 1440 per eye. That’s a pretty big improvement over the original Rift’s 1080 x 1200 resolution, even if it’s the same as the Oculus Go.
To make sure you don’t need to upgrade your PC, Oculus has lowered the refresh rate slightly (from 90Hz to 80Hz), though this is unlikely to make a huge difference in reality.
The other big bonus is that built-in tracking, which comes courtesy of Oculus Insight. This means you don’t need any external sensors for room tracking, with the Rift S using five sensors to track spaces and your movements within them in real time.
An added extra for both the Rift S and Quest is Passthrough Plus, which uses the built-in cameras to lets you see the world around you while you setup the headset.
Oculus Rift S control – Which controllers will it use?
The Rift S will come with a pair of the same Touch motion controllers as you’ll get with the Quest.
These controllers, which are almost identical to the ones seen on the original Rift aside from a slightly modified racking ring, will also let you draw the boundary of your play space by pointing them at the floor and furniture.
What do you think, will you be buying the Oculus Rift S or do you prefer the sound of the Quest? Let us know on Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
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.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.