Oculus has hinted at developing its new standalone VR headset for some time now. Known as the Oculus Go, the device is designed to take VR to the mainstream. With a price tag of $200, that is certainly more than plausible. Getting one billion people to use it, however, may prove to be several bridges too far.
The Oculus Go is Dirt Cheap
Few people expected the Oculus Go VR headset to retail for under $350. Considering how it is a standalone unit, people expected the price to be a lot higher. It is evident that is not the case, although it remains unclear if Oculus makes any real profit per unit. Facebook surprised the entire world by announcing the Oculus Go would just cost $199.
Considering how this headset doesn’t require a mobile phone, laptop, or desktop computer, it will be interesting to see how much bang for the bucket consumers get. Compared to most other headsets, this is all about the experience and convenience. Users can take it out of the box, and it will just transport you to a virtual environment.
Oculus head honcho Hugo Barra is convinced standalone VR is the right way to go. The Oculus Go has no required setup or cables to connect, as it will just work. Charging it from time to time is required, but that is the only tether users will deal with. There are also built-in speakers into the Go’s strap, although not everyone may like that particular approach.
Bringing VR into the mainstream will remain a big problem. While Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expects 1 billion people to reside in VR very soon, it seems unlikely that goal will be reached in the coming years. There is still a long way to go until the stigmas surrounding VR can be removed. This Oculus Go unit, however, may effectively introduce a positive change.
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