Oculus shows prototype lighter VR glasses with 360-degree tracking and audio
Oculus has announced a new version of its virtual reality glasses. The Crescent Bay model features several improvements over the Dev Kit 2, including 360-degree tracking and integrated audio. Oculus also announced a download store for VR apps.
The new model was shown during Oculus Connect, a two-day virtual reality meeting hosted by Oculus itself. At the event, CEO Brendan Iribe announced the Crescent Bay, several US media outlets, including PC World, reported. Tracking has been improved in the new VR glasses, among other things, by installing extra sensors, so that head movements are followed in 360 degrees. In addition, Crescent Bay has built-in sound, which has been specially developed to take into account the ‘spatial organization’ of the accompanying image. The new glasses must also be lighter than previous versions.
Crescent Bay is currently still a prototype. Oculus has no plans to actually market the glasses; it seems to be mainly an intermediate step that should show how far the company has come with the development of its vr glasses. The innovations will probably be included in a future version of the VR glasses that will become available to consumers.
During the presentation, Iribe explained what it takes to make a consumer version of the Oculus Rift glasses. For example, the refresh rate, resolution and latency must be improved before the VR glasses can be marketed. According to Iribe, more than 100,000 developer versions of the Rift have already been sent to developers.
At the same time, Oculus announced its Oculus Platform download store. Developers who want to develop apps for VR glasses can release them in the Oculus store. The store should be available to users of the Samsung Gear VR in the fall. The Korean manufacturer announced its glasses earlier this month. The development was carried out in close collaboration with Oculus.
In time, Oculus Platform should also be available for other devices. For example, there are plans to release the download store for Android, iOS and Windows Phone. A version is also being worked on for the browsers Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer