Palmer Luckey, Oculus founder and creator behind the original Oculus Rift, teased an upcoming announcement that he’s working on a new XR headset.

Luckey says in a post on X that he’ll be talking more about the device at Augmented World Expo (AWE), which takes place in Long Beach, California from June 18-20.

Image captured by Road to VR

Could it be a consumer standalone like Quest? The one ‘ultimate’ PC VR headset to rule them all? A retro-style collector’s device, which might be informed by the Rift creator’s sizable personal VR headset collection? Or maybe a headset that kills the user when they die in VR? He’s actually already built that one, so probably not.

Whatever the case, Luckey told Road to VR that the head-mounted display (HMD) in question will indeed be a VR headset “and more,” however it won’t be shown off “for a while,” as the announcement is intended to precede possible leaks since “it won’t stay secret.”

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While there’s no telling precisely what it will be, the announcement (to the announcement) seems to follow a new chapter for Luckey, who has recently dipped back into consumer hardware with the release of a Game Boy-style device, called ModRetro Chromatic, which the Oculus creator calls his “ultimate tribute to the most important handheld console of all time.”

Then there’s the possibility that it’s none of those things mentioned above, and not intended for consumers at all. Following his departure from Facebook in 2017, Luckey founded the defense technology company Anduril Industries, which is involved in creating AI software, autonomous drones, and threat detection systems. The company has also mentioned in the past it’s developed XR software for the battefield, which could mean an Anduril headset could be on the horizon as well.

Whatever the case, we’ll be keeping an eye on Luckey’s X profile in the meantime as we lead up to AWE, which takes place June 18-20.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • Nevets

    He supports Trump and death, which makes it a very unappealing purchase. But my moral guardrails are not unbreachable, so I shall wait to see what is announced.

    • Roger Anthony Essig

      I ordered an Inferno Chromatic because he supports Donald and believes in Defending the USA from adversaries. I feel good supporting his efforts.

      • Charles U. Farley

        Then you should be summarily ignored from now on, as your opinion on all things is suspect.

        • Start with YOU.
          #GodBlessAmerica

          • Dodo Zapp

            Is this a disorder that you feel the need to scream, i.e. type an entire word in bold letters, at every opportunity? I get it that you will be aware deep down that you need to emphasize weak (rather: non-existent) arguments, but whenever one sees this kind of typing practice, w/o even having read the comment, many readers will think this might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer.
            Or is this just a bot?

        • Roger Anthony Essig

          I became a Donald Supporter when a progressive lady threatened to smash my face with her glass bottle when I said I hope he's going to win in 2016. I realized right then how punk rock supporting Donald is.

      • Look at the SCUMBAGS downvoting you ….
        #GodBlessAmerica

      • Dragon Marble

        Better not talk politics here, especially if you are a Trumper.

      • Jistuce

        I hadn't heard about this until you mentioned it.
        It looks like a nice GameBoy clone, and I am largely indifferent to the political beliefs of public individuals. I may get one.

    • Arno van Wingerde

      Trump I understand, although it wouldn't be my thing…
      But what do you mean by "supporting death"? His "killing" VR set joke?

      • Charles U. Farley

        Because he is currently making his living as a military contractor developing weapons systems.

        • Mike

          Yeah in recent years it's highly-questionable if we're still "the good guys".

          • Arno van Wingerde

            For Ukraine-Russia, I think we definitely are.
            For Israel-Palestina, I think we definitely are not…

          • Mike

            All the same people in our government caused both and fervantly promote/fund both. Maybe dig a little deeper? Maybe it's not as black-and-white as it's portrayed by the media?

        • Roger Anthony Essig

          Yep, helping to protect Australian coastlines with the XL-AUV Ghost Shark. :D https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/afab03499264e93eecb8fca0af697bc348f50d501524a839d7f43796da995568.jpg

    • gothicvillas

      Another sufferer from TDS

      • Dragon Marble

        I'd much rather run into a stranger who's TSD than MAGA.

    • Toni Stinson

      And? What's the problem if he supports Trump?

      • Dragon Marble

        It makes his character questionable — by supporting a person with unquestionably bad character.

        • Toni Stinson

          Supporting lgtbi+ shit and modern ideology is much worse than supporting Trump.

          • Dragon Marble

            You've proven my suspicion.

      • Charles U. Farley

        Anyone who supports Trump is of questionable moral fiber.

        • Toni Stinson

          The best president that America had this century, the only american president who didnt went into wars, and you americans hate him.. but Biden is much better, sending your money and weapons to Ukraine, involving in every kind of war outside of the US (China-Taiwan, Israel-Palestina, Ukraine-Rusia), supporting lgtbi+ shit stuff and women empowerment while white males are being treated as shit…

          The problem is Trump? Yeah, of course. You americans are a meme nowadays.

          • Dragon Marble

            How are white males being "treated as shit"? Do you have a female boss who grabs your balls whenever she wants?

          • Toni Stinson

            Fortunately not.
            But you shouldnt post your fantasies in a VR website.

          • johnyjazz

            We've found the Russian bot!

    • xyzs

      How supporting trump is an argument ?
      The Biden ped0philes are approved for virtue signaling?

      • Dragon Marble

        Does imagining BS excuses like that make you sleep better? Trump supporters coping mechanism always amazes me.

      • Charles U. Farley

        Crawl back into your hole, MAGAt. No one cares what you think.

    • Charles U. Farley

      No.

  • ViRGiN

    It better support backwards compatibility with Ready Rift One for CV1

  • Charles U. Farley

    Fuck this kid. He's a sociopath and a weapons manufacturer. I will never support anything he does.

    • Charles U. Farley

      And who the fuck wears Hawaiian shirts with a mullet and a soul patch that's 6 sizes too big for his weaselly face? Gross.

      • Charles U. Farley

        The day that photo up there was taken, did he really look in the mirror and say "yeah … I look badasss" …. I mean he looks like the mutant love child of John Lasseter and Joe Dirt.

        • Bob Smith

          Funny how you go and on about how Palmer looks. Nobody cares about how YOU look because you haven't accomplished one tenth of what Palmer has and you never will.

          • Charles U. Farley

            Yeah? And who the fuck are YOU?

          • Bob Smith

            I'm the guy bitch slapping you for whining and complaining about a man who's done more with his life than you EVER will, that's who.

      • Palmer Luckey does.

      • sfmike

        When you're wealthy you can look anyway you want.

        • Charles U. Farley

          Yeah that's what all right-wingers think. "Someday I'LL be rich too, and I'll be able to treat everyone like shit just because I have money and power!" But you won't. None of you will ever be rich. That's the lie they hook you with. Enjoy being pan-fried, fish.

          • Jistuce

            I don't think his fashion sense crosses the line into "treat everyone like shit".

      • g-man

        Oh I thought it was a squirrel.

    • Roger Anthony Essig

      You just typed those first three words together in a sentence. lol

  • Wonder how this one will kill people ….
    []^ (

  • gordon

    He's become a techno-criminal who designs machines that track and murder human beings for profit. He aspires to be tony stark but in reverse, kind of. He moved from digital killing to molecular killing, and now sits next to Commodus in front of some flat-screen arena enthralled with the bloodletting.

    • Bob Smith

      Yep. Palmer Lucky out there just randomly murdering people with his high tech killing machines because it's not like every country in the world wants to improve its military abilities or anything. My god–won't someone stop this MONSTER?!?

    • Nepenthe

      Sounds like a neat cartoon, is it on Netflix?

    • Sven Viking

      Most of their stuff is currently either surveillance or defensive, like anti-drone systems currently being used to stop weapons from killing people, but there are some exceptions (one of their anti-drone systems can potentially be used against small manned aircraft for one thing).

  • Sven Viking

    Keep in mind that (as mentioned in the article) it might be something for the defence industry rather than a consumer device. Or it could be a mass-market version of his suicide headset for example.

    • Jistuce

      Gonna have a lot of trouble gettin' the FaceClaymore past regulators. I think that one's gonna stay an art piece.

    • ViRGiN

      That is such an obvious thing

      • Sven Viking

        I agree to be honest. There’s no way it won’t be a mass-market permadeath HMD.

  • Jistuce

    He's going to be announcing the fact that he's working on a new HMD… on Xitter, apparently, despite his plans to announce it elsewhere.

  • Maybe he's finally releasing the fix for the audio of the Rift CV1

    • impurekind

      I never recall an issue with the audio.

      In fact, it's funny you calling out the Rift CV1, when I think it's been probably the most overall satisfying VR headset I've ever owned.

      And, yes, I know fine well current VR headsets are more powerful and capable in so many ways. But, for its time and what we expected from VR relative to the time, I think the Rift CV1 has yet to be beaten.

      Call out everything wrong with every other current VR headset.

      • XRC

        CV1 audio tended to fail on left side in long term because the head strap stressed the internal ribbon cable.

        From Palmer Luckey five years ago:-

        "The Oculus Rift CV1 has a design flaw that results in audio failure for many users. I am giving out a free repair kit that can restore the lost functionality."

        • impurekind

          OK. But, until that potentially happened (and I think that happened with me after about a year, but they immediately sent me a free replacement set of in-built headphones), the audio was totally great in terms of its actual job in VR. And that's what I was so impressed with when talking about my Rift CV1, from the visuals and audio to the controls, it was a standout bit of VR kit for the time.

          • XRC

            Its arguable that Index was spiritual successor to Rift CV1 sharing many design cues

            Thoroughly enjoyed my time in my CV1 as I found it to be a really well balanced design with an overall effect beyond what the specification may have suggested, kinda like Index!

    • ViRGiN

      Ssshhh who hurt you? Don't bring his previous scamsvup! Nobody needs to know he stole thousands of people personal data.

  • Juan Ritz

    Unless it's just something really unusual like the face clamore, I'd be shocked if it doesn't have a direct correlation to his work at Anduril.

  • Heathcliff

    It would be fun if he did this only because of the recent Twitter beef involving Andrew Bosworth and John Carmack on the departure of Palmer Luckey from Facebook. But my money would be on a military XR device.

    • Dodo Zapp

      Didn‘t he say it‘s not a VR device? It could be an AR or MR device, and your assumption about being for military use makes sense and would likely avoid any issues with a potential no compete clause he might still have to comply with. He might be offering a successor/competing product to the Hololens of MS, a project which wasn‘t very successful so far.

  • impurekind

    Now this I'm interested in.

  • Rupert Jung

    Well, he was (and appearently still is) a loud Trump supporter. So I'm afraid I am not caring about anything which comes from him.

  • fcpw

    You'd have expected him to sign a major non-compete clause after Meta bought him out- but guess not.

    • Jistuce

      Noncompetes are illegal nationwide now. That may actually be why he's putting his oar back in the water now.

      Though Meta's based in California, which has made noncompete clauses illegal for quite some time now(well over a century).

    • Only trolls hide comments

      I don't think Meta is worried about competition from that Trump-humping douche-canoe.

  • Only trolls hide comments

    This shit-poster for Trump (his own words) should be shunned like the deplorable he is.