Oculus VR Confirms Android Version Coming Next Year
Oculus VR has confirmed its Android plans for the VR headset.
Early last week, word got out that next year might bring a consumer model Oculus Rift based on Android. The news stemmed from comments John Carmack made during an interview with Engadget.
"You will eventually have a head-mounted display that probably runs Android as a stand-alone system, that has a system-on-a-chip," he said when asked about Oculus Rift and mobile phone use.
Now, just a week later Oculus VR has confirmed plans for Android support. Speaking at the GamesBeat 2013 video game conference, Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe announced that the Oculus Rift headset will launch on mobile and PC simultaneously.
This mobile solution, which will be Android-only, will be a lighter version than the PC model and will utilise the Android device’s processor. Iribe told attendees during his keynote speech that while they’re skeptical about how good virtual reality can be on mobile, what John Carmack has been able to do is 'pretty incredible.'
John Carmack Joined Oculus Rift in August of this year having supported the project right from the beginning (before it even appeared on Kickstarter). Perhaps best known in the gaming community as the co-founder of id Software and lead programmer on Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and the Quake series, Carmack is also a pioneer of 3D graphics as well as a rocketry enthusiast. He also founded aerospace startup Armadillo Aerospace in 2000.
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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
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Quarkzquarkz So will the PC version be better than the Android version? I NEED TO KNOW Thx in advance!! ^^Reply -
Sveg @ QuarkzReply
Think bigger. Streaming the pc game to this. Hardware inside is needed to help with that. -
myromance123 For a guy that thinks Linux isn't the right way for Valve to go, I can't comprehend why Carmack would agree to use Android considering it is Linux.Reply -
joe nate "For a guy that thinks Linux isn't the right way for Valve to go, I can't comprehend why Carmack would agree to use Android considering it is Linux. "Reply
Apples and Oranges. Valve being a software company that primarily focuses on desktop software and games and Oculus Rift being a hardware company that is peripheral that you can connect to almost anything with support. There's a reason to go mobile with Oculus otherwise imitators will fill that segment; currently there's no good 3D mobile headset. -
bustapr Reply11824035 said:For a guy that thinks Linux isn't the right way for Valve to go, I can't comprehend why Carmack would agree to use Android considering it is Linux.
because they are 2 totally different things. what valve is doing is building a foundation for pc-consoles entirely dependant on a linux game library. support for the OS is rising and will probably skyrocket if steamOS is semisuccessful. Valve certainly thinks that linux is the future, but there are others who disagree and take the "we dont need any more fragmentation of the gaming market" approach.
android is another beast entirely as its pretty much the only open source option in the mobile market that is accesible to millions. -
everix Just so everyone knows, the PC and Android version will be one and the same, straight from the mouth of Palmer Luckey. Sounds like they are just going to be doing something with android so that it can act as the source of the video for the Rift instead of a PC.Reply
Source: http://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/1picem/oculus_rift_virtual_reality_headset_coming_to/cd2s5es -
virtualban Now, add 2 cameras separated at eyes distance from each other, right in front of the android version, and you can fill in the rest.Reply -
Durandul I can see an arena of people with android devices in their pocket, or perhaps a backpack, with oculus rift on, and having them networked to some mainframe for a virtual event. Would be interesting if only for its on merits.Reply