Oculus Rift S VR Headset Launching Spring 2019 for $399

[Prophet Steve]

We'll have to see how this looks. I wasn't impressed going from Vive to Vive Pro, still a screen-doory pixelated mess. Glorified paperweight at this point.

VR manufactures should stop with this incremental upgrade BS until they can provide something a huge leap forward in the visuals department.

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It might have less problems than the Vive Pro with screendooring because the Rift S uses a LCD screen which has less problems with that but it is difficult to compare.

I do like the incremental upgrades as I'd hate to wait much longer for more inside-out tracking alternatives.

 

[Luckett_X]

What do you find uncomfortable about the Rift? Personally, I find it the most comfortable of all of the VR devices out there. PS VR was kind of comfortable, but I really dislike the feeling of the flappy rubber that goes around the eyes. I also need to clamp the PS VR really tight for it to stay secure, which is uncomfortable.

The Rift, on the other hand, is light and it just stays put with the weight being mostly put on the top of my head.

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I know it all varies on head types and facial structure, but the Oculus just jams into my forehead and nose bridge in the absolute worst ways. I find the foamy fabric way less breathable/a bit irritating and because the headset isn't pushing the weight off the front of my face, it all culminates in a bad time for longer sessions.

I really like the slide-rack system of the PSVR for putting on and find the light rubber a lot more breathable for longer sessions. It feels more roomy and the large front fore-headband part distributes the weight of the screen and lens packed front a lot better (for me!).

Seeing all the headsets switch over to this form factor while avoiding having to acknowledge they're all getting it from PSVR is just very funny to me.

 

[BlkSquirtle]

This still needs a PC to run right? Why would I get this over the quest?

 

[mario_O]

This still needs a PC to run right? Why would I get this over the quest?

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to run pc games?

 

[-COOLIO-]

This still needs a PC to run right? Why would I get this over the quest?

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better graphics, basically.

 

[BrutalInsane]

It might have less problems than the Vive Pro with screendooring because the Rift S uses a LCD screen which has less problems with that but it is difficult to compare.

I do like the incremental upgrades as I'd hate to wait much longer for more inside-out tracking alternatives.

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That makes sense. I bought the Vive for one specific category of game (flight sims), and the tech is cool and immersive as hell, but it's just not 'there' yet in terms of having visibility to spot contacts, so I'm looking at this from a very narrow perspective.

Plus, we live in a veeeerrryyy narrow railroad apt, so there's not much room to flail around :)

 

[Prophet Steve]

This still needs a PC to run right? Why would I get this over the quest?

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You can have a lot more performance with a PC compared to the Snapdragon chip in a Quest.

Games such as Lone Echo (2) are likely to not appear on the Quest as they are too demanding and many will not be ported.

 

[BlkSquirtle]

to run pc games?

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better graphics, basically.

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Ah. So inside out tracking with a pc tether for better graphics? Are all rift games automatically supported on quest or did I misinterpret what quest was?

edit:

You can have a lot more performance with a PC compared to the Snapdragon chip compared in a Quest.

Games such as Lone Echo (2) are likely to not appear on the Quest as they are too demanding and many will not be ported.

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Ah that's what I feared. I see the difference now. Thanks guys. Quest is still better for me but it's shame I'd miss out on games.

 

[DjDeathCool]

I'm confused about the audio. Does this come with built in headphones and the jack is just for replacing those with your own?

 

[LaneDS]

Went from being very excited to very conflicted. They were so close to hitting a home run but lack of OLED and the refresh rate drop are real bummers. May continue to wait for that headset that checks all the boxes.

 

[Prophet Steve]

Ah. So inside out tracking with a pc tether for better graphics? Are all rift games automatically supported on quest or did I misinterpret what quest was?

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All rift games are supported on this Rift S but not on the Quest. Oculus does want developers to support both games though, but it may not always be feasible.

I'm confused about the audio. Does this come with built in headphones and the jack is just for replacing those with your own?

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It has speakers that it uses for audio but you may use the jack for your own audio solution. Because they are speakers other people hear it too which may not be something that you want.

 

[CKOHLER]

From Tested:

 

[1-D_FE]

I'm confused about the audio. Does this come with built in headphones and the jack is just for replacing those with your own?

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Pretty sure it's their now standard (audio through the headstrap band). You can disable the audio on that and plug in headphones if you want actual headphones.

 

[DjDeathCool]

All rift games are supported on this Rift S but not on the Quest. Oculus does want developers to support both games though, but it may not always be feasible.



It has speakers that it uses for audio but you may use the jack for your own audio solution. Because they are speakers other people hear it too which may not be something that you want.

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That's strange. Why would anyone want that? I just know that the included headphones on the Rift went a long way in making the device more usable. It's really nice not having to fumble around for your headphones after putting it on.

 

[mario_O]

Ah. So inside out tracking with a pc tether for better graphics? Are all rift games automatically supported on quest or did I misinterpret what quest was?

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Well, not just "for better graphics", some games are just not possible on the Quest, so you either own a Rift or you're not going to play them at all. Quest has a two gen old mobile chip.

 

[Durante]

My point by point feelings:

• 80 Hz: judging from my Pimax 8k, this is not an issue, at least for me. It's very close to the lower bound though, at least for that wide-FoV HMD.
• Resolution: somewhat disappointing after the HP announcement.
• Tracking: nice to see more than just forward-facing sensors, but honestly quite disappointed that impressions still noted blind spots in controller tracking.
• Price: seems fair enough for the package you get.
• LCD: not as good as OLED, frankly.
• FoV: still waiting for any of the big players to improve on that -- currently Pimax basically has no competition there.

 

[Kirksplosion]

God, I hope the roomscale and controller tracking for this is up to snuff, as that would completely settle this "Vive or Rift" fight I've been having in my head since I planned to buy a PCVR headset. My primary Rift hangup was having to deal with all those damn USB cable snaked across my walls.

Oculus Rift S, please be awesome, please be awesome...

 

[Prophet Steve]

That's strange. Why would anyone want that? I just know that the included headphones on the Rift went a long way in making the device more usable. It's really nice not having to fumble around for your headphones after putting it on.

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The speakers are targeted towards your ear and from what I heard on the Oculus Go that also uses it, it is pretty good. It is not like the original Rift headphones did not leak a lot of sound so it is a bit easier now to plug in your own thing instead of having to screw off those headphones. They probably had different considerations though, I'm not sure what the difference is in cost but it also makes it a bit more comfortable in my opinion.

 

[Durante]

Seeing all the headsets switch over to this form factor while avoiding having to acknowledge they're all getting it from PSVR is just very funny to me.

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Actually, HP just switched from a headband-style to a triple-strap-style mounting mechanism for their new HMD (which is primarily focused on the professional sector).

Personally, I'm fine with almost any mounting mechanism, what I really don't want is any stray light in my VR HMD.

 

[vermadas]

I think if it either had the same resolution as Quest or was $100 cheaper I might be compelled to upgrade from the base Rift. As it is though, the value proposition is not there. I look forward to the day I can take down my unsightly sensors though.

 

[Durante]

I haven't seen any mention of Virtuallink -- that would have been nice and I somewhat expected it. Not as the only option of course, but at least with an adapter or something like that.

 

[mario_O]

Specs: Rift S vs Quest

Rift S

• Pricing: $400
• Weight: A little more than Rift
• Audio: Integrated open-ear, 3.5mm audio jack for external audio
• Display:
  • Resolution: 1,280 × 1,440 per-eye (2,560 × 1,440 total)
  • Type: Single fast-switch LCD
  • Refresh Rate: 80Hz
  • Field of View: 'Slightly larger than Rift'
  • IPD Adjustment: Software only
• Tracking:
  • Type: 'Insight' inside-out (no external sensors) – five cameras
  • Capabilities: Supports 6 degrees of freedom head and controller tracking
  • Recommended Environments: It should work in almost any lit indoor environment.
  • Recommended Playspace: Oculus Rift S works with your environment, so you can play standing or sitting, in spaces big or small.
• Tether:
  • Length: 5 meter
  • Connections: DisplayPort 1.2 & USB
• Passthrough:
  • Passthrough+: Low latency stereo-correct passthrough video
  • Guardian: Boundaries traced from inside headset using passthrough
• Recommended PC Specs: Same as Rift except need DisplayPort 1.2 or later and just one USB 3.0 port instead of three

Quest

• Pricing: $400
• Weight: ~100g more than Rift (470g)
• Audio: Integrated open-ear, two 3.5mm audio jacks for external audio
• Display:
  • Resolution: 1,440 × 1,600 per-eye (2,880 × 1,600 total)
  • Type: Dual OLED
  • Refresh Rate: 72Hz
  • Field of View: ~100 degrees
  • IPD Adjustment: Hardware adjustable
• Tracking:
  • Type: 'Insight' inside-out (no external sensors) – four cameras
  • Capabilities: Supports 6 degrees of freedom head and controller tracking
  • Recommended Environments: It should work in almost any lit indoor environment.
  • Recommended Playspace: Oculus Quest works with your environment, so you can play standing or sitting, in spaces big or small.
• Compute:
  • No tether: On-board Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and active cooling
  • Battery: 2–2.5 hours battery life
• Passthrough:
  • Passthrough: Supported
  • Guardian: Boundaries traced from inside headset using passthrough (Multi-room Guardian system)

https://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-rift-s-vs-quest-specs-difference/


Honestly, these two being the same price makes no sense to me.

 

[DjDeathCool]

The speakers are targeted towards your ear and from what I heard on the Oculus Go that also uses it, it is pretty good. It is not like the original Rift headphones did not leak a lot of sound so it is a bit easier now to plug in your own thing instead of having to screw off those headphones. They probably had different considerations though, I'm not sure what the difference is in cost but it also makes it a bit more comfortable in my opinion.

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Haha. Yeah, I did a bit of digging and I kind of understand what it is now. I was first under the impression that it was a speaker on the headset itself. Which didn't make sense to me... Probably because that wasn't what it was. Haha!... Thank you for the clarification!

Specs: Rift S vs Quest

Rift S

• 
  
• Passthrough:
  • Passthrough+: Low latency stereo-correct passthrough video
  • Guardian: Boundaries traced from inside headset using passthrough

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So does this mean we could maybe see some limited support for pass through AR games/apps?

Specs: Rift S vs Quest

Honestly, these two being the same price makes no sense to me.

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I totally agree.

 

[Deleted member 40102]

Looks really nice but I don't see it worth it with this price point tho I really hope it does well for the sake of VR future.

 

[ArnoldJRimmer]

The Pimax headset seems like a better buy given these specs.

My next headset absolutely needs:

OLED display.
Higher for pimax level or better.
No sensors required.
Improved optics from base oculus.

Not absolute requirements but nice to have:

Foveated rendering
Wireless

Unless I get the must haves I'm sticking to my current odyssey and oculus headsets. The odyssey plus calls to me though.

 

[Deleted member 40102]

Specs: Rift S vs Quest

Rift S

• Pricing: $400
• Weight: A little more than Rift
• Audio: Integrated open-ear, 3.5mm audio jack for external audio
• Display:
  • Resolution: 1,280 × 1,440 per-eye (2,560 × 1,440 total)
  • Type: Single fast-switch LCD
  • Refresh Rate: 80Hz
  • Field of View: 'Slightly larger than Rift'
  • IPD Adjustment: Software only
• Tracking:
  • Type: 'Insight' inside-out (no external sensors) – five cameras
  • Capabilities: Supports 6 degrees of freedom head and controller tracking
  • Recommended Environments: It should work in almost any lit indoor environment.
  • Recommended Playspace: Oculus Rift S works with your environment, so you can play standing or sitting, in spaces big or small.
• Tether:
  • Length: 5 meter
  • Connections: DisplayPort 1.2 & USB
• Passthrough:
  • Passthrough+: Low latency stereo-correct passthrough video
  • Guardian: Boundaries traced from inside headset using passthrough
• Recommended PC Specs: Same as Rift except need DisplayPort 1.2 or later and just one USB 3.0 port instead of three

Quest

• Pricing: $400
• Weight: ~100g more than Rift (470g)
• Audio: Integrated open-ear, two 3.5mm audio jacks for external audio
• Display:
  • Resolution: 1,440 × 1,600 per-eye (2,880 × 1,600 total)
  • Type: Dual OLED
  • Refresh Rate: 72Hz
  • Field of View: ~100 degrees
  • IPD Adjustment: Hardware adjustable
• Tracking:
  • Type: 'Insight' inside-out (no external sensors) – four cameras
  • Capabilities: Supports 6 degrees of freedom head and controller tracking
  • Recommended Environments: It should work in almost any lit indoor environment.
  • Recommended Playspace: Oculus Quest works with your environment, so you can play standing or sitting, in spaces big or small.
• Compute:
  • No tether: On-board Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and active cooling
  • Battery: 2–2.5 hours battery life
• Passthrough:
  • Passthrough: Supported
  • Guardian: Boundaries traced from inside headset using passthrough (Multi-room Guardian system)

https://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-rift-s-vs-quest-specs-difference/


Honestly, these two being the same price makes no sense to me.

Click to shrink...

Went from being very excited to very conflicted. They were so close to hitting a home run but lack of OLED and the refresh rate drop are real bummers. May continue to wait for that headset that checks all the boxes.

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Finger crossed for next gen htc vive.

 

[Durante]

Specs: Rift S vs Quest
[...]
Honestly, these two being the same price makes no sense to me.

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It's somewhat baffling that they didn't use the Quest display in the S.

Other than that, honestly, the Snapdragon 835 is just a tiny portion of the total price of these things, I think people are overestimating it in terms of BoM.

 

[Reinhard]

LCD isn't necessarily a big downgrade because almost all the VR devices use pentile OLED displays that give a big screen door effect. A true upgrade would have been RGB OLED like PSVR but with much higher resolution /refresh rate. However, the very small resolution bump and refresh rate decrease to 80 does mean I'm going to pass and wait for something else to get back into PCVR. I sold my Rift 9 months ago - there hasn't been any really interesting software released since and the lackluster hardware upgrades means I'll keep waiting for a big gen 2 VR leap, if it ever happens...

Do the Quest and Rift S still have the horrible God Rays? That's another reason why I sold my Rift.

 

[TheMan]

Will this have on board hardware for simpler games like the quest?

 

[Green]

80Hz? Ehhhhh... I'll keep the gen1 until something better comes along. Resolution bump isn't anything to write home about. Hertz is king.

 

[EDarkness]

I don't mind anything with the Rift S as I feel like it's a decent sidegrade or an upgrade depending on whether you like having all of the sensors. My biggest issue is the look. It looks like a Rift at all. I'm not diggin' it.

 

[Quample]

They really should have priced this more aggressively if their goal is getting users into the ecosystem. $300 should have been their mark. If this is the "race to the bottom" that Brendan Iribe seemed so against, I don't think they're doing it right on the PC side. I hope they prove me wrong with the Rift 2. The tech is moving forward fast, yet 3 years later this is just a slightly better Rift in a simpler, sleeker package.

If somehow it changes the game and people jump on it en masse, great. I'm just not convinced.

 

[CKOHLER]

Why do the minimum requirements say only 1 USB 3.0 port but the recommended specs say 3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 port?

With no external sensors, that has to be a mistake right?

 

[dallow_bg]

So do the built in sensors have the virtual wall detection thing that the external cameras had?
I remember liking that feature when I used it at my friends' place.

 

[Version 3.0]

I wish I could try this before deciding. I have no issues with the sensors; they're set up and work great. My issues with the Rift are based on comfort:

1. It puts pressure on my glasses, which in turn put pressure on the bridge of my nose and tends to give me a headache.
2. It's a bit warm in there after a while.
3. Due to both of the above: I get sweat on the lenses of my glasses, and have to take the whole thing off and clean them.

 

[Ox Code]

The screen downgrade while retaining price makes me wonder what kind of loss Oculus was taking on the first Rift.

 

[DiceHands]

I have the original Oculus and 3 sensors. I recently unhooked it all to build a new PC and I have not hooked it back up simply because I do not want wires for sensors sprawled everywhere across my computer room.

I am very tempted by this. Disappointing it isnt fully wireless, but having no sensors really is a god send.

Might have to sell my old one and get this one. Decisions!

 

[1-D_FE]

The Pimax headset seems like a better buy given these specs.

My next headset absolutely needs:

OLED display.
Higher for pimax level or better.
No sensors required.
Improved optics from base oculus.

Not absolute requirements but nice to have:

Foveated rendering
Wireless

Unless I get the must haves I'm sticking to my current odyssey and oculus headsets. The odyssey plus calls to me though.

Click to shrink...

I would test the Odyssey plus first. I bought a Odysessy+ last black Friday for 299.99 and kind of regretted not picking up the older model from Amazon (Amazon just had the original for 299.99). I didn't feel like it was an upgrade over my Vive. The increased resolution didn't make up for the smear that the SDE filter added. I prefer Vive over O+. I suspect a lot of people will prefer the original Odysessy over the + model. YMMV with eyesight. If you have sharp vision, however, be prepared to be bothered by the smear it introduces.

EDIT: I returned it and just roll with the Vive for now. Constantly looking for a worthy and reliable upgrade, though.

 

[DrROBschiz]

Quest is the better product in my head so far

Wonder how much competition there will be in the Stand Alone space

 

[CKOHLER]

So do the built in sensors have the virtual wall detection thing that the external cameras had?
I remember liking that feature when I used it at my friends' place.

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If you mean the "boundry walls" that appear to warn you when you about to step out of your play-space, yes.

 

[Turin Turambar]

I think the 80hz screen is ok, not that big of a difference, but the downgrade from oled to lcd isn't good, and I expected for it to use the same resolution as the Quest, but I'm puzzled to find is inferior!
What's the point of using your expensive computer instead of an oudated mobile chip like in the Quest if you don't even reach the resolution being used in the Quest!

I think this product should have been $300 with this compromises. I guess Facebook is really focusing more on the Quest, and it's only giving us this refresh because it has been half-outsourced to Lenovo.

 

[Mailbox]

I would test the Odyssey plus first. I bought a Odysessy+ last black Friday for 299.99 and kind of regretted not picking up the older model from Amazon (Amazon just had the original for 299.99). I didn't feel like it was an upgrade over my Vive. The increased resolution didn't make up for the smear that the SDE filter added. I prefer Vive over O+. I suspect a lot of people will prefer the original Odysessy over the + model. YMMV with eyesight. If you have sharp vision, however, be prepared to be bothered by the smear it introduces.

Click to shrink...

As someone who has used a rift, psvr and odyssey+, I have no idea what people mean when they say "smear". Once you get the super sampling settings right and find the IPD sweet spot, it's super clean and clear.

Like playing Skyrim VR (with TAA off and injecting fxaa and msaa via nvidia), hellblade, and Pavlov are super freakin clean looking that it shocks me every time I put on the headset.

You sure you didnt just miss the sweetspot in the lenses and forget to adjust IPD?

 

[ArnoldJRimmer]

I would test the Odyssey plus first. I bought a Odysessy+ last black Friday for 299.99 and kind of regretted not picking up the older model from Amazon (Amazon just had the original for 299.99). I didn't feel like it was an upgrade over my Vive. The increased resolution didn't make up for the smear that the SDE filter added. I prefer Vive over O+. I suspect a lot of people will prefer the original Odysessy over the + model. YMMV with eyesight. If you have sharp vision, however, be prepared to be bothered by the smear it introduces.

EDIT: I returned it and just roll with the Vive for now. Constantly looking for a worthy and reliable upgrade, though.

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I haven't tried it yet but I thought, spec wide that it was better in every way over the base, what smear does it introduce, thanks for the info!

 

[GBknight]

As a person who just built a new PC and is looking to move from PSVR to PC VR is this edith the purchase, or is there a better VR?

 

[DJ_Lae]

It sounds neat overall, although I'm surprised it's not a step foward in every aspect.

Having messed around with my own Oculus quite a bit, though...does inside out tracking have an impact on how the controllers function? Right now I can move my hands behind me or well away from the headset and they do not lose tracking, but I can't imagine this would work without the external sensors.

 

[Rosol]

The hidden downside with the 80hz screen i see is that ATW will now work at 40hz and be slightly more intrusive.

 

[RCSI]

Rift S is a side grade and I don't like the occlusion issue with the controllers. The inside-out head tracking and less cables is wonderful news. Frame rate is fine, the LCD decision (lack of true blacks, than anything), and no cost decrease is disappointing.

 

[Mailbox]

As a person who just built a new PC and is looking to move from PSVR to PC VR is this edith the purchase, or is there a better VR?

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As someone who went from psvr to pcvr, oh yeah.

Like for perspective: I got a wmr headset, and I feel like the tracking is better (or at least more consistant) than a psvr. This will be much better than even that. So yeah it'll be a good upgrade.

I wouldn't be surprised if psvr2 (assuming that will be a thing) has inside out tracking

 

[1-D_FE]

As someone who has used a rift, psvr and odyssey+, I have no idea what people mean when they say "smear". Once you get the super sampling settings right and find the IPD sweet spot, it's super clean and clear.

Like playing Skyrim VR (with TAA off and injecting fxaa and msaa via nvidia), hellblade, and Pavlov are super freakin clean looking that it shocks me every time I put on the headset.

You sure you didnt just miss the sweetspot in the lenses and forget to adjust IPD?

Click to shrink...

I was very impressed by the sweetspot. The haze is definitely YMMV. You either notice it or you don't. But if you do, it's subtle smear that you'll never be able to not focus on.

And it's definitely subtle. I'm not saying it's not. But it robs the screen of its sharpness once you notice it. Personally, I would definitely take an original over the +.

I haven't tried it yet but I thought, spec wide that it was better in every way over the base, what smear does it introduce, thanks for the info!

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That's why I said to test first (unless you want to go the return route). It's hugely YMMV. But if you notice it, you won't like it.

Only reason I didn't go with the Amazon version was because the + had the built in bluetooth. And that's a definite upgrade. Tracking is quite good with bluetooth built in. The new ergonomics were not for my big nose, however. Was a torture device if I wanted to actually have a clear view and be in the optics sweetspot.

 

[Zeouter]

Hmm, is both great and a little disappointing.
Would rather it be a tad more expensive and not have the comprimises.