A mysterious handheld device showed up in an FCC test report recently that may just be the 3DoF controller coming alongside Oculus Go, the company’s upcoming $200 standalone VR headset.
While the report doesn’t explicitly state any relationship with Go, instead masked behind the vague term “Virtual Reality System,” a closer look reveals it to be a handheld, battery-operated, Bluetooth 4.1 controller. The device operates on a 1.5 V DC current at 190 mA—the exact same power requirements as Oculus Touch. The maximum power output in comparison to Oculus Touch is drastically reduced however, sipping 0.9 mW instead of Touch’s 2.89 mW max power output. For reference, Samsung Gear VR’s 3DoF controller’s max power output is 1.0 mW.
The company hasn’t publicly released the full spec sheet on Go or its controller yet, so the relationship at this point is solely based on conjecture. With an “early 2018” launch date though, Go is the best candidate for a controller of this caliber.
The filing doesn’t share any images of the controller, just a diagram showing where the label will go and where the battery compartment will be. To maintain confidentiality, the FCC typically agrees to release internal and external images at a later date, usually specified by the company filing for FCC testing. In this case, actual images of the controller are set to release in June 2018.
Usually one of the last things to happen before launch of a wireless device in the United States is the stamp of approval from the FCC. The Oculus Go headset hasn’t appeared just yet in FCC filings, although developers already have them in hand.
We hope to hear more heading into CES this year, so check back with us next week for all things virtual.