At the upcoming E3, every company plans to play its strongest cards. Virtual reality is one of the hottest topics, and as expected, Oculus VR has its hands full with the Rift and its other projects. In a press conference held yesterday, the company presented the final design of its virtual reality headset, along with a new wireless controller that combines tactile support with motion tracking.
The picture for the Oculus Rift is becoming clearer. We finally have a solid idea about its release, and the recommended specifications have been confirmed, but there is still a lot of work ahead. Virtual reality does not depend solely on hardware; robust players are also needed on the software side to deliver a satisfying experience. For example, more than one person has wondered what Fallout 4 will look like with a virtual reality headset. Personally, the idea of coming face to face with a Deathclaw seems disturbing… but it would be an extraordinary game. Another aspect that Oculus VR needs to optimize is immersion. When people put on a virtual headset, the first thing many do is look for their hands, but the Oculus Rift cannot do anything about that unless it receives help from an additional device.
Oculus Touch
That's where the Oculus Touch comes in, also known by its codename Half Moon. It is a controller consisting of a joystick, two front buttons, a trigger, and a ring full of sensors that wraps around the user's hand. The first thing the Oculus Touch does is incorporate haptic/tactile support, so that when the user touches an object in the virtual environment, they receive an equivalent physical response. Its second function is positional tracking of the hands and gesture recognition. Pointing, dusting off a virtual table, trying to shoo a virtual fly, or simply waving will be among the possibilities of the Oculus Touch. This controller will not be part of the "basic package" of the Oculus Rift (in fact, it will come with a wireless Xbox One controller, adding streaming support from the console to a Windows 10 PC and then to the headset), as it will be available after the headset's launch, but Oculus indicates that it will reach the public during the first half of next year.
The final design of the Rift
Along with the controllers, the definitive design of the Oculus Rift was also presented. It is lighter than its development predecessors, the user has the option to remove the headphones to use their own audio solution, and most importantly: it has two OLED screens with independent adjustment, which in theory should improve the virtual experience. As for more specific data, once again, Oculus appealed to 'silenzio stampa'. There is no exact date or price. It is likely that E3 is not the place where this information will be announced, which moves the needle to September, when Oculus VR holds its own conference.
