Oculus’ newest virtual reality headset is called the Rift S. The $399.99 device, which includes a pair of newly redesigned Touch controllers, will offer higher resolutions for PC gaming and not require external sensors. The headset launches this spring.
The announcement was made today in a blog post and coincides with the Game Developers Conference, taking place this week in San Francisco.
The Rift S will feature a display for each eye that’s 1280 pixels wide and 1440 pixels tall. The original Rift only offered displays that were 1080 pixels wide and 1200 pixels tall. That alone should improve the user experience. It should also help to eliminate the so-called “screen door” effect, where the empty space between individual pixels can be perceived by the user.
In addition, the Rift S will not require external tracking sensors. Instead, its new Insight system will use computer vision algorithms fed by five sensors embedded in the device to track movements in real time. That should dramatically reduce the complexity of installing and calibrating the the Rift at home.
According to Oculus, the device was designed in partnership with Lenovo. Their input led to a redesigned headband, which includes a halo-like tensioning system similar to the PlayStation VR. While the device is slightly heavier than its predecessor, it is expected to be more comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
Oculus stressed that the new Rift S would be compatible with all existing Oculus games, allowing legacy users to quickly and easily upgrade their devices.