Oculus Go is an upcoming standalone VR headset and controller that offers the same content library and a similar experience to Gear VR, but in a dedicated unit rather than a ‘headset shell’ accessory for a smartphone. What follows is a brief overview of everything we know about the soon the launch headset.

What is Oculus Go?

Photo by Road to VR

Originally announced at Oculus Connect 4 in October 2017, the Oculus Go is a VR headset and controller designed to offer mobile VR experiences in a self-contained, standalone unit. The Go shares many similarities to Samsung’s smartphone-docked Gear VR headset, including a shared VR content library from Oculus, but it promises to be the best way to experience this content, as its design offers several advantages in terms of convenience, comfort, and performance. Its tracking capabilities are the same as Gear VR: limited to rotational movement (3DoF) on both the headset and controller, which makes it less immersive than other standalone VR headsets like the Lenovo Mirage Solo and HTC Vive Focus.

What Are the Oculus Go Specs?

Photo by Road to VR

The Go is built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC. On paper, this chip sits somewhere in the middle of the range of Samsung smartphones that support Gear VR, but the Go is said to achieve higher and more sustained performance due to being a dedicated VR device, with superior thermal characteristics that should avoid the common overheating problems of Gear VR devices. In fact, Oculus recently revealed at that developers have the option to push beyond the standard 60Hz to a 72Hz output for the Go, and detailed new automatic performance management tools to keep the headset’s CPU and GPU balanced for maximum performance without overheating.

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Oculus Go uses a single 2,560 × 1,440 display, using a “fast-switch LCD” rather than the OLED panels found on Rift and Samsung phones designed for Gear VR. The headset features what Oculus have described as their “next generation” Fresnel lenses, which increase the FOV above Gear VR to something more comparable to the Rift, and are also said to reduce glare. The team also say they worked with Qualcomm to optimise a fixed foveated rendering solution for further performance gains.

It may not look it, but there’s hidden speakers built into the Go’s head strap, and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack can be used if you want more private or higher-quality sound.

Photo by Road to VR

The light, 3DoF controller features a single trigger, trackpad, and a back and menu button; the same inputs as the Gear VR controller. The controller’s shape is reminiscent of the core of Oculus Touch, and feels like a more ergonomic fit than Gear VR’s controller.

Like Google’s Daydream View headset, the Go’s facepad and lens backing can be removed for cleaning or replacement.

Weight and battery life estimates are currently unconfirmed.

What’s the Oculus Go Price and Release Date?

According to the official site, the price is “starting at $199” and the release date is “early 2018.” It has been suggested that the launch date could coincide with Facebook’s F8 conference, which begins May 1st. It’s expected that Oculus will release 32GB and 64GB versions of the headset.

Image courtesy Xiaomi, Oculus

In partnership with Xiaomi, Oculus go will also be launched in China under the name Mi VR Standalone, and will feature content from Xiaomi’s own VR app store.

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The trial version of Microsoft’s Monster Truck Madness probably had something to do with it. And certainly the original Super Mario Kart and Gran Turismo. A car nut from an early age, Dominic was always drawn to racing games above all other genres. Now a seasoned driving simulation enthusiast, and former editor of Sim Racer magazine, Dominic has followed virtual reality developments with keen interest, as cockpit-based simulation is a perfect match for the technology. Conditions could hardly be more ideal, a scientist once said. Writing about simulators lead him to Road to VR, whose broad coverage of the industry revealed the bigger picture and limitless potential of the medium. Passionate about technology and a lifelong PC gamer, Dominic suffers from the ‘tweak for days’ PC gaming condition, where he plays the same section over and over at every possible combination of visual settings to find the right balance between fidelity and performance. Based within The Fens of Lincolnshire (it’s very flat), Dominic can sometimes be found marvelling at the real world’s ‘draw distance’, wishing virtual technologies would catch up.
  • MW

    Another pointless product from VR industry. 3 years old Gear VR is way better (you have mobile VR and smartphone). If creating sufficient and affordable VR is impossible right now, just give it a rest (like in 90’s) instead of losing money on those weird ideas.
    VR is over for now. It’s just look and feels bad (not good enough).
    Yes, ‘bla bla bla’ – I’m wrong etc. Numbers are brutal. That’s why HTC price pro over 1,5k – like product for companies, universities, or military. Dream about VR for masses is dead – for now).

    • CURTROCK

      You clearly don’t know what you are talking about.

      • MW

        I know. Because I’m not a believer, but businesses person. But you right – There’s no point of talk today. Tell me what you think a yery from now.

        • Xron

          Next year is when we go into 7nm production, so more power for Vr.

        • wcalderini

          Don’t sound like much of a business person either. There is money to be made and money being made on VR right now. For a SMART businessman. And the hardware already exists and it’s getting better. Google, Nvidia and others have plenty of things in THIS Year’s pipeline that may already prove you wrong. But, good ahead and leave. We’ll check back next “yery”. :)

    • Xron

      Way better? :DD for 800$ phone + 120 gear vr? vs 200 oculus go?
      Yes, no reason to speak with an ignorant person.

      • MW

        S7 costs less. And smartphone is better device generally. Ignorant? Because I’m not believer? And I know this business, and I know this is missfire? Well. Keep dreaming.

        • BrianCalhoun

          An s7 with a clean screen no scratches costs atleast 350 and that doesn’t include the cost of a GearVR.

    • NooYawker

      Vive is $500. Rift is $400. Window MR devices are even less. That sounds pretty affordable to me.
      We are still in gen 1. Exactly what are you expecting after only a couple of years?

      • MW

        1 gen. is the only gen. We don’t have enough GPU CPU power and sufficient scrresc to create real VR product yet. Period.

        • BrianCalhoun

          Its going to be a long time before we can fool the human mind but please go compare Lone Echo to any VR game from the 90s we’ve come such a long way its disturbing.

        • NooYawker

          That shouldn’t stop or even slow down companies continuing to invest in VR. People will look back and laugh but today it’s pretty great. But then again I grew up in the Atari era. Look up adventure in Atari. I thought that was amazing when I was a kid.

    • David Robinson

      What are you talking about? PSVR has a install base of more than 2 million units and will probably be due another price cut by Xmas season, WMR headsets are often on sale and have superior display tech to the Rift and the Vive. The Oculus Go is the Gear VR and the phone chipset in one for a 3rd of the cost. Standalone self contained hardware is the future.

    • JDawg

      You’re right in that most people won’t enjoy this product. This solves several problems I had with using the Gear VR. It was a pain to use Gear VR. I had to charge my phone up because VR would kill my battery. Also putting it in and out of the Gear VR was a hassle. Then having to wait for it to boot into a separate “OS”. Also losing access to my normal phone features when others wanted to use the VR. The Oculus Go will be like a portable entertainment system like a Nintendo Switch. It’ll be a fun toy I’ll enjoy.

    • Thomas Van Iseghem

      Why so pessimistic? I don’t know why on earth you think Gear VR is better, and 200$ is pretty affordable. Imagine al the parents who will buy this for their kids, or kids being able to save up money to buy one. Before, you had to buy a good gaming rig and expensive VR system, or buy a Playstation and PSVR, or buy a smartphone and Gear VR (to get a nice experience so excluding the 20$ chinese crapsets). Personally I don’t know about you but I didn’t get such expensive stuff from my parents when I was a kid. So from a business perspective this isn’t so bad. You made an argument that you know the VR business but actually you don’t. That’s what they are getting to, changng the business so a larger group of people can jump in VR.

      • MW

        Rather realistic. I’m also a gamer, and I know a lot of gamers. And I know what are they thinking about today’s VR. Kids? Maybe. But it will be very hard battle. For mature consumer this type of VR is a gimmick, fun for 5 minutes. ‘Aha, cool, and now give me my 4k monitor back’.

        • Glenn Powell

          The people who are into VR, will buy the headset. VR is more than just gaming. Its a social tool to hang out in virtual spaces, its a way to watch television and entertainment in private movie theaters, its a way to transform how we enjoy adult entertainment, its also the future of gaming. While I would probably use my Rift for the gaming side, I’d likely ditch the Gear VR in favor of Oculus GO because I wouldn’t have to fuss with taking a phone in or out, and I’d use the GO more for videos and or maybe playing more simple games with family in friends far away or hang out with them in a virtual space if they can’t afford the Rift like myself. Your looking at it from just a gaming standpoint, and modern VR is much more than just a gaming experience. However, if we were to talk games my favorite is Stand Out VR Battle Royal on Steam, its similar to PUB-G but in VR, and I played it for an hour or two a night for months, I only stopped because I had a family member have to move into my VR room due to breaking her foot and not being able to get up her stairs to her house. I’ve also ordered a VR gun that will work with oculus touch from Mamut VR, just to play in that game with it and another one called Pavlov. So the gaming side is defiantly enough to gain interest, and my of my friends who also have Oculus Rift also play it. I can tell you, you just be stubborn, get out of the past and walk into the future my friend.

          • MW

            Do you really know people using VR for social media? Or watching movies in those hmd’s? I don’t. Are we talking about product, or prophecy? I’m not a prophet. I don’t know what future will bring. But I know modern GPU/CPU/screens and I know that what you talking about is sci-fi for now.

            Modern hmd? I have them, but I don’t use them. Because it’s not what I want from vr. And I can’t sell VR because it’s just look bad, and feels bad. And now, after 3years,ocullus gives us this? Sorry,but no.

          • Thomas Van Iseghem

            I’ve spent hours watching movies and doing social things in VR. And I’m sure I’m not alone. A friend of my father has bought 2 VR headsets just to watch movies without really knowing how much fun it was to game with it. And a mutual friend of that guy did exactly the same. And everything the guy above you is saying is far from sci-fi. I mean everything he mentioned already exists and has a relatively large community. Also don’t know what you mean with “I know modern GPU/CPU/screens”. They are perfectly capable of doing some pretty awesome things today. At this point it’s just you being stubborn in my opinion. Here where I live in Belguim companies are moving to VR so fast, that you already get VR development classes in college if it’s remotely close to technoligy/multimedia.

    • RJ

      Drinking that haterade I see…

    • Glenn Powell

      What are you smoking my friend? VR in the 90’s, yes needed a rest, but VR today is simply amazing, extremely realistic, and at $399 for the Rift is VERY affordable for what you get. Buy one extra sensor and you get full room scale. I’ll put it this way, I bought one, and two of my friends bought one within 2 weeks of me letting them us it. I took it to work, and the owner of the company I work for purchased one within 3 days to take to trade shows and use at his house. The Oculus Touch controllers feel like your real hands in VR, you feel like your actually there in VR games, you can watch movies in your own private VR movie theater, simple apps like VR roller coasters look and feel real and even make your stomach drop, and on the darker side of VR there is VR Porn which is usually first person and really looks like the girl is in the room with you in real life. You trying to compare Oculus Rift to Virtual Boy is a JOKE, VR IS HERE, IT’S REAL, AND ITS VERY GOOD. If your complaining about $399 price tag for high end virtual reality, you don’t deserve to have one. People happily spend that much money every day on old school console gaming, so the future of gaming and social interaction defiantly is deserving of that price tag. Don’t rag on something you know nothing about, it just makes you sound retarded to the people who have actually used it.

  • care package

    Considering I have the Rift, the Go will serve as my ‘watch stuff laying in bed’ device.

    • know1cares

      Mr. Fancy look him everyone..

      • care package

        Ya dude. Only the elites of the elitists get to have a rift. That shits like $400. Half of what phone zombies spend on their phones.

  • Logan Smith

    Whoa! People in the comments! Chill out a little bet jeez! And even though people are saying that this going to suck doesn’t necessarily mean it will suck! Heck, some people tested and reviewed this thing and they said they liked it! The only ffaw these people said was there was no motion tracking. But, you might expect that for some mobile VR headsets!

  • Karen Cusimano

    Currently own a Gear VR with an S7 phone, and a Rift, and can’t wait to get my hands on one of these. Will be great to have something that’s not tethered to my PC that I don’t have to disassemble my phone from its case to snap into the Gear VR headset, and several times to boot, to get it to connect properly. AND did I read that it will play most of the Gear VR games as well, so I’ll still be able to use those? Win/Win, in my book!

  • oompah

    is that it still looks like a
    box

  • chuan_l

    Nice photo of the fresnel lens !

  • Mateusz Pawluczuk

    I want to have a portable VR device that I can use when travelling and Go might just be it. It might even replace some smartphone tasks and wih

  • anon

    but does it have OTG/bluetooth support

    ggodin announced a native build for virtual desktop was in the works for Go and I won’t be satisfied without being able to use a keyboard with the damn thing