Oculus Connect 6: 3 things still prevent VR and AR from entering the mainstream

When Facebook launched its Oculus Rift headset in 2016, officially introducing virtual reality into store shelves for the first time in decades, the tech industry has been making headlines. But in the last three years, CEO Mark Zuckerberg – who said he wants to get 1 billion people to use virtual reality – has dropped the price of his headphones several times and has refused to share sales data on the Rift. And the application developers say that they do not sell enough copies of their programs and virtual reality games to succeed.

All in all, it was almost impossible to tell if the rest of the world really cared much.

Zuckerberg will change that this week.

The world's largest social network is hosting its Oculus Connect Developer Conference Wednesday and Thursday, bringing together thousands of people from the virtual reality industry in a conference room in San Jose, California to discuss the future of virtual reality.

In the past, Facebook used this event to introduce new headsets, as in 2018, when it announced the Oculus Quest headset offering a virtual reality experience at $ 399, less powerful than the Rift. Or 2017, when he showed the least capable Oculus Go helmet for $ 199.

The company also introduced new games at the event, such as Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR series from Lucasfilm, whose first episode was released in June.

And Zuckerberg, who pushed in 2014 to buy Oculus for more than $ 2 billion, took advantage of this event to make big statements, such as this plan providing that one billion people use the VR – futures .

"Everything is still early," Zuckerberg said last year after unveiling the company's new helmet, the all-new Quest helmet.

Here are some things that remain to be done.

Get the right price

Whether we like it or we hate it, one of the biggest hurdles to VR's success is its low price. When the Oculus Rift was launched in 2016, it cost $ 599. For this price, you have a headset, a controller and a cable that connects to the PC you already have, hopefully. This price has since fallen to $ 399 for the new Oculus Rift S, released this year. But the price remains high if we take into account the additional cost of a computer to power the helmet (at least $ 500 more).

The Oculus Quest is trying to solve some of these problems by offering a wireless headset with integrated computer intelligence priced at $ 399. The device has received positive reviews, notably from Scott Stein, of CNET, who called it "the best thing I've tried this year". However, its price remains unchanged from video game consoles such as Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One S and Nintendo Switch, all for $ 299.

Oculus Go, at $ 199, also offers a standalone device, wireless and cheap. Companies such as Walmart have already been encouraged to purchase this low-cost device for training in human resource compliance processes, customer service skills and new store technologies.

Improve design

When you attach a virtual reality headset to your head, the screen located on the inside is so close to your eyes that it lets you think that you have been transported into a spaceship where an extraterrestrial you track down, to an underwater sinking or to a mythical cave filled with puzzle to solve.

Back in the real world, however, it's less exciting. For anyone, you move into a room while wearing a large helmet.

Oculus has tried to make things easier by making it easier to "cast" or broadcast what you see in virtual reality on a nearby TV.

The company also announced that it was working on augmented reality glasses, not very different from those of Microsoft HoloLens, Magic Leap Lightwear or the apparently developed Apple headset. But that's probably in a few years. And even in this case, the helmets are always big and heavy.

Bring more content

Oculus will probably spend some time discussing his new games and apps at his event this week. The company has big plans in the works, including the upcoming Vader Immortal game, a new yet untitled game from Electronic Arts.

Facebook's also announced its own initiatives, such as Oculus Venues for watching real events, such as sports games or musical performances. Oculus Spaces to go out with friends in VR where you can interact with their avatars, and Oculus TV to watch videos in a virtual movie theater.

The question that Oculus will face is not just about the new games and essential experiences it can offer. The company already has an app store with over 1,300 apps, including hits like the Beat Saber musical beat game and the Lone Echo space adventure game.

CNET will cover the event live and look for answers to all of this, and more.