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Oculus Rift Now Better Supports Users with Glasses

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There are now three removable eyecups that support both nearsighted and farsighted developers.

Monday's update to the Oculus VR blog reports that the Oculus Rift developer kit now comes with three pairs of removable eyecups instead of a single, permanent set. What this means for consumers and the final retail version is unknown at this point, but the new modification shows that the team is working to bring the goggles to everyone despite anyone's visual impairment.

According to the blog, developers who wear contacts or who already have great vision will use eyecup set A, as the Rift will match the user's vision in real life. Developers that are farsighted will have no vision problems in the Rift because the optics are focused on Infinity, meaning the specs makes your brain think it's looking at something far away. Thus farsighted developers will use set A as well.

For nearsighted developers, Oculus has provided the additional B and C eyecup sets. These will allow users to see within the Rift as if they were wearing glasses by changing the focal distance. Developers that are moderately nearsighted will use set B whereas those who are very nearsighted will need to use set C.

"This isn’t the perfect solution: the B and C cups won’t be ideal for everyone, but we’re hoping that they help some of the nearsighted developers," Oculus said. "If you have other eye issues like astigmatism, the additional lens cups may not be sufficient. In short, your mileage may vary."

The blog also reports that Oculus has produced over 40 complete Oculus Rift "pilot run" developer kits and are on schedule to ship full kits in March. This pilot run is the final test for the team's calibration, assembly, and testware pipeline before they officially kick off mass production, the company said.

"The kit is produced on a standard assembly line by the factory’s team. Assembly is broken up into sub-tasks like attaching the plastic pieces together, sealing foam on the facemask, and connecting display and tracker components," Oculus said.

To read the full blog, head here. It talks about manufacturing the goggles, fixing production errors on the fly, adding a geared mechanism for extending and retracting the assembly that holds the screen and the eyecups, and more.

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10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Warsaw
    Can't wait for this to come to full fruition. I keep contemplating about buying the developer kit to get a jump start on it, but I hear about what the "retail" packaging might have such as a higher resolution. So torn =/.
    Reply
  • Hellbound
    I will wait for retail.. It should have higher resolution..
    Reply
  • ikyung
    Man.. from Sensorama from the 60s, to Virtual Boy in the 80s and now the Oculus. Same concept, but I love how far VR technology evolved. Imagine another 20 years from now.. fully functioning embedded contact lenses that are as powerful as a supercomputer of today. Kind of wish I was born today and not 25 years ago.
    Reply
  • virtualban
    A bit curious, but can't the lenses be made movable so they can adjust the focal point? Similar to binoculars. Maybe not bringing the lenses too close to the eyes but instead pushing the screen a bit farther back. Or these extra lenses are for when the adjustments available are not enough.
    Reply
  • mouse24
    Can't you buy a months supply of contacts and just use those when you want to play? Considering they last a month and you are only wearing them for 4ish hours at a time (or atleast I am) they should last quite a while. Though I am a glasses wearer and have never used contacts so I am not entirely sure what I am thinking is "proper".

    Though my eyesight is horrid for near and far sighted, how will they manage that?
    Reply
  • ianj14
    Not everyone can where contacts, and even then there are still potential issues with astigmatism. I reckon the best solution would be something like binoculars, where a general refocusing arrangement could be paired with a diopter adjustment on one eye. That way even people with one eye with different focusing to the other can still get a balanced view into the Rift.
    Reply
  • bustapr
    mouse24Can't you buy a months supply of contacts and just use those when you want to play? Considering they last a month and you are only wearing them for 4ish hours at a time (or atleast I am) they should last quite a while. Though I am a glasses wearer and have never used contacts so I am not entirely sure what I am thinking is "proper". Though my eyesight is horrid for near and far sighted, how will they manage that?these arent contacts. theyre removable lenses for the rift. if you wear glasses you just pop the ones in the rift out, and pop the proper ones in. it isnt needed to adjust a whole lot to your eyes since the display is like 3 inches from your eyes. if you have trouble seeing anything at less than 2 inches from your eyes, youd need the lenses(assuming the distance from the sreen is 3 inches). if you have those famed eagle eyes many people have(can see well far, but cant see 1 foot from your face), youd need the proper lenses.

    I might be wrong as to how they work though since Im not at all familiar with that infinity concept and how it will affect the focus of bad eyes. The devs said this is between a year and 2 away from being on sale, so they definitely have time to improve on this. Im excited.
    Reply
  • B cups? C cups?

    Don't stop until you get to DD cups!
    Reply
  • abbadon_34
    If you can afford an oculus rift you can afford contact lenses.
    Reply
  • waxdart
    Making them like binoculars would add complexity, cost and require more manufacturing tools at this stage. Later version will require something as it would be an error to exclude people who wear glasses.
    There is an after market for prescription Oculus lenses it seems.
    Reply