$199 Oculus Go isn’t perfect ...
... But VR headset is fun to use, easy to set up.
Will Facebook’s new Oculus Go virtual-reality headset finally get you interested in virtual reality?
Oculus Go, which goes on sale Tuesday, is a self-contained $199 mobile VR unit that successfully takes out some of the pain points of the immersive technology by letting you operate it without tethering it to a computer or plugging in a smartphone.
The Facebook-owned unit is trying to make the case that Oculus Go is the most “approachable” VR headset out there. After testing the Go for more than a week, let me give Oculus its due: It may not be perfect, but it’s easy to set up, and most importantly, fun to use, an opinion shared by friends and family members who I let try it.
I’m still not fully persuaded that the masses are ready to go all-in on VR, if only because wearing a contraption on your head is going to make at least some of you feel uncomfortable, claustrophobic or weird — and there’s always a call for more compelling content. And the
$199 price is still higher than I’d like to see.
Some perspective:
The odds have been severely stacked against VR, even though many of the people who have immersed themselves in the tech, yours truly included, find the experience to be rather awesome most of the time.
When the high-end Oculus Rift hit the market two years ago, it cost a steep
$599. And the robust computer you needed to hook it up to was even pricier.
Moreover, there wasn’t a ton of killer content, set-up was a hassle, and maybe worst of all, wearing the headset made some people sick.
Though Oculus subsequently reduced the price of the Rift to $399, and PC costs have also come down, you’re still left with the ordeal of settings thing up and having to connect the system to a computer. No matter how exciting the virtual reality experience was, the cord to a computer could always yank you back into real life.
Other systems from HTC and Sony are also expensive and required either a computer or game console.
Pros, cons
Oculus Go is priced more affordably, so in that sense it is a more direct competitor to the other portable VR headsets that use a smartphone, such as the Samsung Gear VR, which happens to be powered by Oculus, and the Google Daydream View. One of the drawbacks to these headsets, however, is that you must snap in a compatible Android smartphone to use them, thus eliminating all the many people with iPhones, and many Android owners as well.
Oculus Go does away with all such requirements. No computer is necessary. Nor do you have to plug in a phone, though you will need an iPhone or Android handset to set things up through the downloadable Oculus app. You’ll also need access to Wi-Fi.
All this makes getting started with Oculus Go a comparative breeze. Placed on your head, you can adjust the fit with soft elastic straps. There’s no separate focus control, so you may have to fidget with the headset until your view is clear; I sometimes felt just a little bit of pressure on my nose.
Oculus says the system is launching with more than 1,000 apps, movies, games and experiences — some engaging, though there’s still a question about the collective quality of the bunch and which ones, if any, will drive you to buy the system.
One of my early favorites is called Coaster Combat, part roller coaster, part action shooter. And though I’m not necessarily a WWE fan, it was rather cool being right at ringside watching the likes of John Cena and Ronda Rousey in virtual reality. Same goes for watching LeBron James and other NBA stars courtside.
I also watched Saturday Night Live on a virtual large screen inside the Hulu app, swam with sharks in a 360 video and sampled the board game Catan VR. I don’t think I’d want to wear the headset for long stretches, though.
In the works (but not available for testing): an Oculus Venues experience where you can watch live concerts, sports and comedy in VR, along with other people. And Oculus TV, with partners such as Showtime, launching later this month.
What if you bought the Rift?
If you’ve already invested in the Rift, there are some overlapping titles available for the Go, but you’ll have to repurchase them. However, if you happened to purchase an app on Gear VR, you do not need to repurchase it on Oculus Go — you will have access to the Oculus Go version of the app for free. (There are some exceptions to this.)
More VR headsets that do away with the phone and/or computer requirement are on the way, including versions from HTC and Google. Time will reveal whether the Oculus Go and the rival products to come bring virtual reality any closer to a mainstream reality.