Oculus Rift and Microsoft HoloLens Release Date, Features, and Price (VIDEO)
Oculus VR inked an agreement with Microsoft in June as the two tech companies ready to release their own virtual reality headsets next year.
According to Xbox head Phil Spencer, the new team-up will allow Microsoft to focus on the HoloLens which still needs additional work, while the agreement will allow Oculus to stream Xbox One games to their headset.
Both virtual reality devices are head-mounted displays, but apparently that's where the difference ends.
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Oculus Rift, which first appeared on KickStarter, and is scheduled for a 2016 launch, will come complete with a small camera with a stand, a wireless Xbox One Controller, and two dedicated hand controllers.
The camera tracks the player's head movements, creating a realistic 3D environment. The controllers, which come with two buttons, an analog stick and trigger, pick up hand movements. User experience has described the Oculus as akin to projecting what's occurring onto a large cinema-size screen.
No price point has yet been announced for the Oculus Rift, but a price range of between $1,300 to $1,500 has been set for the headset and a high-performance computer.
Microsoft, which announced the HoloLens in January, will be using a headset with a transparent visor to project digital 3D images into the user's field of vision on an AR (augmented reality) screen, and allow them to interact with the digitized objects.
The HoloLens headset, also scheduled for a 2016 launch, will have Windows 10 integration, and is rumored to carry a next-gen Intelchip, and feature gesture control and wireless charging.
The price point for the HoloLens has not been hinted at all, although given the type of technology Microsoft has harnessed for its VR headset, it won't be priced way above the Oculus Rift to prevent turning away potential customers.
