New test version Oculus Rift has higher resolution

About a year after the first test version of the Oculus Rift came out, the company behind the virtual reality glasses released a new version. The second test version should be closer to the consumer version of the virtual reality glasses.

Oculus VR, the company behind the virtual reality glasses, released more information about the new glasses at the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco. Although the new developer kit of the Oculus Rift is not yet equal to the version that will eventually be sold to consumers, it is a long way in that direction, Oculus VR says: all games made with this kit will also work in the version that will be sold to consumers. The new developer version costs $350 and is available to order immediately; the extradition will probably start in July.

The OLED screen of the device offers, among other things, a higher resolution than its predecessor: 960 by 1080 pixels per eye, where in the original version it was still 640 by 800 pixels per eye. In addition, the Rift now has a CMOS camera sensor on the front to track movements more precisely. This allows gamers, for example, to look around corners of walls in games.

Furthermore, the image of the device should be slightly more stable and it is equipped with a USB port for plugging in accessories. On the other hand, the device has become heavier: 440 grams, where it was previously 380 grams. That’s because the plastic molds the device is made with haven’t been optimized yet; the consumer version should eventually be lighter than 380 grams.

The breakout box, which had to be placed between the headset and the computer, has disappeared: the glasses can now be connected directly to a computer via HDMI and USB. The infrared lights, which were previously visible, are now hidden behind the plastic.