CES 2018: Xiaomi-made Oculus Go can boost VR adoption

Facebook’s Oculus also revealed that it will launch a version of its VR headset exclusively for the Chinese market. Photo: Reuters

The highly-awaited Oculus Go VR headset, announced last year by Mark Zuckerburg at Oculus Connect event, is on show at the CES 2018 in Las Vegas. In a press event at the CES, Oculus announced that the new VR headset will be manufactured by Xiaomi and will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, seen on powerful smartphones such as One Plus 3T and first-gen Google Pixel and Pixel XL. It has a fast switch LCD display with a resolution of 2,560x1,440p, which processes images faster.

Xiaomi will also make the China-specific variant of Oculus Go. It will have similar specs and design but will be called MI VR Standalone.

What separates the Oculus Go from other VR headsets is the fact that it works on its own and doesn’t require a smartphone or PC to work, but comes with its own hardware and software. Users can download VR apps and games from the Oculus Store. The headset comes with built-in speakers but users can connect a headphone with 3.5mm connector for superior audio experience.

Google is also working on a standalone VR of its own which will work without involving PC or smartphones, just like the Oculus Go.

The Oculus Go will be available in the market in early 2018 at $199 (approximately Rs12,625). This makes it a more affordable VR alternative to Oculus Rift headset ($400) for PCs. Google’s Daydream View (Rs7,999) or Samsung’s Gear VR (Rs8,200) cost less, but they only work with a handful of flagship smartphones which cost more than Rs30,000.