14 DAY TRIAL // The team in charge of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is announcing that it will deliver the long-awaited consumer version of the device in the first quarter of 2016 and that it will offer users a package that includes a wireless Xbox One controller, an adapter for it that can be used with Windows 10, and new functionality that allows for console titles to be streamed to it.
Phil Spencer, the leader of the gaming division at Microsoft, was present during the presentation and explained that "Rift will work with Windows 10 allowing users to stream their Xbox One games such as Halo, Forza, and Sunset Overdrive to the Oculus Rift using the controller that they know and love."
The consumer version of the Oculus Rift is designed to include two high-quality OLED screens that have an enlarged field of view, a complex tracking system that features low latency and an external sensor that can be used on any surface.
The platform has 360-degree spatial audio which is delivered via integrated headphones that can be removed if the gamer wants to.
In order to make sure that it is easy to adapt the Oculus Rift to any situation, the development team has included a special dial to adjust for the distance between pupils, reducing any negative effects from the virtual reality experience.
Even those who wear glasses can use the device because the interior plate can be removed, and even with it attached, the device is very easy to move with just one hand.
Oculus Rift will have to deliver solid software support to be a success
The fact that the new virtual reality headset will allow gamers to stream video games that are being played on the Xbox One is a great asset for the company because it offers a solution to the relative lack of experiences designed to use VR in engaging ways.
But classic video games will not be enough, and Oculus Rift will have to get a range of tailor-made experiences that can show exactly how the new device can revolutionize gaming.
Competition in the VR space comes from Vive, which is being created by Valve and HTC and is supposed to be introduced before the end of the year, and from the Sony-created Project Morpheus, which will only work on the PlayStation 4.
Microsoft is also working on the augmented reality HoloLens concept.
