Today, at Facebook’s developer conference, the company announced that its inexpensive yet capable
Oculus Go virtual reality headset will be going on sale today. The headset costs $199 for the 32GB version or $249 for the 64GB option. Just a few hours after appearing online, the Oculus Go standalone VR headset was sold out on
Amazon.
The Oculus Go is the most convenient and comfortable virtual reality headset ever made. Sure, that may sound like exaggeration but its well deserved. With the Rift, Oculus helped introduce consumers to high-end virtual reality and later collaborated with Samsung to deliver a mass market headset for their popular smartphones.
HOWEVER, THE COMPANY’S NEW
$199 OCULUS GO HAS A FAR BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING EVERYDAY CONSUMERS INTO VIRTUAL REALITY MERELY BECAUSE IT IS SO EASY TO USE.
Oculus Go Design:
It is safe to say that the Oculus Go is simply a self-contained version of Samsung’s Gear VR. They both has large plastic shells that house their lenses and internal hardware but the Oculus Go is a big step forward when it comes to comfort and ergonomics. The face-plate material has a good amount of foam and it’s covered in a soft knit mesh. This is what you tend to find in athletic clothes and it serves a similar purpose – to taper sweat because your face will undoubtedly get sweaty. This is one thing that you will quickly learn when using virtual reality headsets. The Oculus Go has three head straps that are made out of spandex and secured with Velcro. This allows for easy adjustments and stretching over your head. Since this new headset isn’t housing a phone, the Go is surprisingly light at a little over a pound.
The Oculus Go’s touch controller feels like an evolution of
Samsung’s Gear VR. It is light and easily fits into the contours of your hand.
You have to give credit where its due because overall, the Oculus Go feels very sturdy. The reason has to be due to the company’s choice of manufacturing partner,
Xiaomi. This is a Chinese company that has made a name for itself by producing inexpensive hardware that feels premium.
Oculus Go Specs:
Under the hood, it has all of the hardware you’d expect in a 2018 mid-range smartphone including a two-year old Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and either 32 or 64 gigabytes of storage. It features a 2560×1440 “fast switching” LCD screen instead of an OLED display. Oculus claims that this LCD technology is similarly speedy and helps keep costs down. There are speakers built right into the headset which are amplified by the contours of the face-plate. These speakers are surprisingly loud and clear but everyone around you will hear what you are playing so if you want some privacy you’ll definitely want to plug in some headphones.
- 5.5” 2560 x 1440 WQHD fast-switch LCD screen running at 60Hz or 72Hz
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 Mobile VR Platform
- Integrated speakers and microphone
- Battery Life: 1.5-2 hours for gaming, or 2-2.5 for video-watching.
- 190mm x 105mm x 115mm, 468g
AFTER SEEING THE FULL HARDWARE SPECS ALONG WITH THE PRICE, IT ONLY MAKES IT MORE CLEAR THAT THE OCULUS GO IS THE BEST DEAL IN VR.
Oculus Go Performance:
Like the Samsung Gear VR, the Oculus Go can track the position of your head in three degrees, although it can’t monitor your in space like some high-end options.
From the beginning, you’ll notice that everything is sharp. Fine movements are recognized rather well and it is a testament to whats possible in virtual reality using mobile hardware.
Oculus claims that you will get two and half hours of battery life while watching video and just about two hours while playing games. Although after some testing sessions, the Oculus Go typically lasted around a little over two hours.
Oculus Go Review Summary:
Overall, what stands out the most about the Oculus Go is how easy it is to use. You don’t have to worry about inserting a phone or getting anything setup on your desktop.
IT IS A SIMPLE GRAB-AND-GO DEVICE. IT’S LIKE THE HANDHELD CONSOLE OF THE VR MARKET.
Plus because of its comfortability, you’ll find yourself using it more often and for longer sessions.
At $199, the Oculus Go is the easiest way to jump into VR for most people. The ease of use, comfort level and price, all add up to the best mobile VR experience. The Oculus Go is highly recommended.
