Introduced in March 2019, the Oculus Rift S aimed to bring virtual reality to life at an affordable price. Facebook wanted (without really believing it) to offer a humble headset that would replace the 2016 Rift. For $ 399 only on PC, the Rift S never made it to find its place in the market against the PlayStation VR or the HTC Vive. After only two years of marketing, Facebook pulled the plug out of the socket.
The end of the Oculus Rift range
© Oculus
Facebook had already canceled the Rift 2 shortly before production began in 2018. With the end of the Rift S and the sale of the last few shares, Facebook confirms the end of the range. The American giant will now concentrate on its “Oculus Quest” collection, the second model of which was launched in late 2020. And this new headset seems to be the origin of this decision by Facebook.
The Rift S is currently still available in select chains around the world. However, as we announced last year, we plan to stop selling the Rift S in 2021. Generally, retail chains that are out of stock are not replenished.
Facebook spokesman on the site UploadVR
Launched in late 2020 at a price of $ 299 Quest 2 exceeded all expectations in just a few months. Facebook therefore wants to put everything on this headset to play independently without being connected to a PC. Facebook believes the Quest 2 is well on its way to becoming the first VR headset for the “general public”. Today, almost 20% of Facebook employees work in areas related to VR and AR (Augmented Reality). The company has already announced that it will incorporate face tracking technology into its next Quest models.
Oculus Quest 2 has been available since October 13, 2020 and is available in two versions. A first with 64 GB at a price of € 299.99 and a second with 256 GB at a price of € 449.99. Thanks to these accessories, it is possible to discover virtual reality without a PC and without video game consoles. Our editorial team is currently testing the helmet and we will publish our opinion on it shortly.
