Oculus Rift CV1 teardown.
If only you could see what I’ve seen with your eyes.
BACKGROUND:
We’ve had our eyes on Oculus since the beginning, having dismantled both development versions of its VR headset. Today, we’ve got the real deal — the consumer-ready, OMG-it’s-finally-here Oculus Rift. After four long years of development, what’s changed? What’s stayed the same? Can we put it down long enough to take it apart and find out? Grab your tools and join us at the teardown table, because we’re deconstructing the Oculus Rift.
MAJOR TECH SPECS:
Dual OLED displays with a combined resolution of 2,160 x 1,200
90fps refresh rate
Accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer 360-degree headset tracking via Constellation IR camera
Horizontal field of view greater than 100 degrees
KEY FINDINGS:
This is the sleekest Rift yet — lightweight, impressively comfortable, and with earphones built in for maximum immersion. A thick foam frame attempts to minimise the effects of “Oculus Face”. It’s simply attached with clips. Fewer screws means less weight!
Removing the adjustable earphones couldn’t be easier. An embedded flathead barrel nut secures the speaker arm, and spring contacts connect it to the wires in the headband. We’ve seen our share of expensive, unrepairable, nigh-on-impossible-to-disassemble earphones, so this is welcome.
Stretchy black Lycra surrounds the lenses, covering a thin plastic frame. This dustproof fabric protects the Oculus’s innards, while allowing the adjustable lenses some freedom to move. But how to remove it? We’re stumped — until our teardown engineer finds the hidden interior clips that secure the frame. After a few flicks of the spudger, it’s free.
Separating the lens assembly reveals the custom, non-Note, larger-than-lens-aperture display. These OLEDs measure 90mm apiece, for a resulting pixel density of around 456ppi. What was behind those lenses and dual displays? A super-sleek, spring-loaded, dual rack-and-pinion mechanism for adjusting the spacing between the display/lens assemblies. Next to come out is the LED driver board, featuring all the labels a re-assemblist could want.
Repairability Score: 7 out of 10 (10 is best). Cable management is much improved from the development kits, with a sturdy connector for easy removal. The earpiece speakers are easily removed, thanks to spring connectors. The face pad is held in with plastic clips, and pulls out easily. Getting inside is difficult, with hidden internal clips securing the dust shield. Replacing the head strap is impossible without cutting through the fabric on the headset. Intricate design and delicate ribbon cables make it very difficult to remove the lenses, displays, and motherboard.