Oculus Go HMD: What We Know (So Far), Including SoC
Oculus announced Go, its first standalone (ie, untethered) VR HMD at its Oculus Connect 4 conference in San Jose. Although Oculus is being a bit tight-lipped about the specifics--a spokesperson told us we wouldn’t even be able to see it or try it at the event--there are several things we do know, including what Oculus VR VP Hugo Barra announced on stage during the opening keynote.
Go Uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
One key detail we learned from sources close to the matter is that Oculus Go is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 SoC. Further, the Go will support only 3DoF. Or put differently, this is a more powerful and lighter weight version of the Gear VR, without the need for a dedicated (and expensive) smartphone.
All of this is especially enlightening given that during Google I/O we learned that Daydream VR partners HTC and Lenovo would be coming out with Snapdragon 835-based standalone HMDs, although Google’s annual announcement showcase took place last week with nary a mention of it. Lenovo’s web site pegs this Winter as the timeframe for its version.
Sources have indicated that Oculus’ forthcoming Project Santa Cruz headset--which we first saw as a prototype last year--will also be based on the Snapdragon 835 as well. But it looks as if HTC and Lenovo will beat Oculus to the punch on the high-end mobile SoC.
Is Oculus Go The Sweet Spot?
Still, Oculus Go is an interesting interim development. It represents what Barra calls the sweet spot for mass VR adoption. At $199, it’s hard to argue, at least from a price perspective. The Samsung Gear VR (a joint development with Oculus) sells for $129 and requires a high-end (costly) Samsung smartphone that is dedicated to tasks other than VR.
Dedicating an SoC solely to VR is the aim of a device like Oculus Go. Santa Cruz will take that one step further still, but even the Snapdragon 821, when it occupies a modern smartphone, runs for at least $400, so we’re surprised to see Oculus sell Go for $199. Clearly the company is making a statement and trying to make a bold claim on the standalone HMD market. And frankly, if Go takes off, we may have just seen the last of Gear VR.
More Go Details
There are several details Oculus did reveal about Go. We know that it will be lightweight, although the company hasn’t provided specifics. The soft elastic straps are adjustable, and the facial interface has been upgraded and is more breathable and form fitting than previous Oculus HMDs (although Barra didn’t specify if he meant Gear VR or the Rift).
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The lenses use what Barra called next-generation optics, which are designed to provide better clarity, reduced glare, and the same FoV as the Rift. The displays are WQHD (2560x1440) fast-switch LCD, which Barra said has a higher pixel fill factor than OLED, which is what gives it the extra clarity and reduces the notorious screen-door effect you sometimes see in VR.
The Oculus Go includes integrated spatial audio; the audio drivers are built into the headset so you don’t have to use headphones (but of course, you can, via a 3.5mm jack.)
Finally, Gear and Go apps are binary compatible, and the controller input is also compatible from Gear to Go. In other words, all of your Gear apps should work on Go. The Go has its own controller, but it’s nearly identical to the Gear VR controller, so any differences may be academic.
Dev kits will begin shipping in November.
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bit_user the Go will support only 3DoF
They should sell a QR-code style poster you can use to upgrade it to 6-DoF. As long as the poster is in view of its camera and large enough, it'd be easy to determine the HMD's pose. They know all of its camera's implicit parameters - it wouldn't even be that hard. -
Arbie So 7 of the 7 lead stories on Toms (plus several below) are about Oculus. Is Toms now a marketing arm of that firm? I missed the news if so.Reply -
bit_user
No, they're simply reporting on Oculus Connect - the annual event Oculus holds for developers & their partners, and a good opportunity to make announcements. It's not unlike events held by many other big industry players (Intel's Developer Forum, Nvidia's GTC, Microsoft Build, AMD GDC, Google IO, etc.).20264156 said:So 7 of the 7 lead stories on Toms (plus several below) are about Oculus. Is Toms now a marketing arm of that firm? I missed the news if so.
Might want to down-shift that cynicism, just a bit. -
dark_lord69 20264156 said:So 7 of the 7 lead stories on Toms (plus several below) are about Oculus. Is Toms now a marketing arm of that firm? I missed the news if so.
I happen to like the news from Oculus Connect. Sounds like Oculus will continue to stay competitive if anything.
I still say the next VR device I get will have a higher resolution and a larger FOV.
(And it would be nice to have a wireless connection to the PC... Thank you Intel!)
Standalone VR is all good but I want better graphics and I don't think an SoC is anywhere near a GTX 970. (Original GPU Requirement)
Intel has a new device I might buy though...
"supports dual 4Kp60 displays"
It will support 4K VR but it seems @ only 60Hz. (Not enough if you ask me.)
(Or current Gen VR at full 90Hz)
http://www.displaylink.com/vr
Planning on buying it as an add on if it gets released as an actual product. I think the Vive 2 or Rift 2 products should have this standard/built-in. On the other hand it won't happen if Intel demands an excessive premium price which would drive up the cost of the PC connected 2nd Gen products. -
Brian28 @ARBIE - Oculus did just have a big annual conference, so of course there were several big stories to come out of it, just like the day of a Google I/O or Apple event. Would you expect Tom to not cover those?Reply -
bit_user
Be sure to use it in a room with a concrete or tile floor - somewhere easy to clean up the vomit. Their solution adds > 10 ms. IMO, that's unacceptable, especially if you don't have any form of ATW in the HMD. The leading wireless silicon solutions add < 2 ms.20265205 said:Intel has a new device I might buy though...
"supports dual 4Kp60 displays"
It will support 4K VR but it seems @ only 60Hz. (Not enough if you ask me.)
(Or current Gen VR at full 90Hz)
http://www.displaylink.com/vr
Planning on buying it as an add on if it gets released as an actual product.