The virtual reality headset will be used for mobile gaming on Android devices.
Oculus VR announced yesterday it will launch a mobile version for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset as close to possible as the launch of the headset for the PC version. The announcement came during a keynote chat at GamesBeat, a video game conference presented by Venture Beat. Oculus VR has made no plans for an iOS version.
“We have some exciting plans on the mobile VR side as the PC VR side,” CEO Brendan Iribe said. “We’re really looking at hitting the consumer market. We’re very excited about what we’re seeing.” Iribe said he was skeptical about mobile virtual reality on a small platform but now feels much better about the idea since id Software cofounder John Carmack began working on mobile VR. The mobile virtual reality headset will be lighter and marketed as a consumer version, using the Android mobile device’s processor.
Oculus VR has not released the consumer price for the virtual reality headset. The developer kit version costs $300. The consumer version of Oculus Rift is still underway, and Iribe says the market will be “blown away.”
Iribe noted his interest in additionally bringing virtual reality to home theaters, saying it would be cool to watch films in virtual reality. He provided recently released science fiction film Gravity as an example. “VR is going to have a big impact on film,” Iribe said. He added virtual reality is compelling for games as well because there are new ways of inspiring an emotional connection to videogames.
“You have a sense of presence where you’re connected to the environment,” Iribe said. “In VR, you look up and you’re still there. You get that sense of scale. And you’ll now have characters that know where your eyes are.”
Source: Venture Beat, GameSpot
