Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) has announced that it plans to launch a new Oculus virtual reality headset called Oculus Go which will be released in 2018.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement about the upcoming VR headset on Wednesday. The announcement was quite special for numerous reasons, the first one being that a new VR headset adds to the very short list of physical products that Facebook makes. The other reason is that the new VR headset will work independently without requiring external connections. This is a big step considering that the initial Oculus Rift headset targets the premium market and it has to be connected to a PC.
The social media giant plans to make VR accessible to 1 billion people and it plans to do this by introducing the upcoming headset at a price tag of $200. This is much more affordable compared to the Oculus Rift which costs $400. It will feature motion trackers and cameras that will allow it to accurately track the movements of the user. Zuckerberg also revealed that it will come with motion controllers that will allow users to interact with the virtual world.
Meanwhile, Facebook is also planning to convince the corporate world to jump into VR by introducing a new way through which companies can take advantage of this technology. The social media giant recently launched a bundled VR package that includes an Oculus Rift headset, 3 room sensors for tracking motion and two controllers. The package will be priced at $900 and Zuckerberg explained how this could be used in the corporate setup.
According to the Facebook CEO, the VR package can be used as a tool to hold meetings. It will even include dedicated customer service as well as a commercial license. The two VR headset announcements highlight Facebook’s plan for the future of VR.
“It is much better than a video conference. You can do work together,” stated Zuckerberg during the Oculus Connect Developer Conference which was held in San Jose.
