Skip to main content

Accidentally released Oculus Rift images are real but ‘ancient,’ says headset’s creator

Ahead of next week’s E3 event, Oculus is on Thursday holding a special gathering to reveal the latest details on the long-awaited consumer version of its Rift VR headset, which is due to hit stores early next year.

The team behind the Rift has also been rejiggering its website, adding a timer to its homepage counting down to Thursday’s event.

As enthusiastic fans of the hardware dug a little deeper into the freshly designed site yesterday, they stumbled upon a bunch of hitherto unseen images that they assumed revealed the latest Rift design. And that wasn’t all – the renders also showed several accessories that may be offered with the device when it goes on sale.

It seemed for a few hours that Oculus had made a bit of a boo-boo. Actually, it had – those images shouldn’t have been there. After being made aware of the content, Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey was quick to point out that the renders are in fact “ancient” images and “nowhere close” to how the final product looks. He also called them “old placeholder concept” images.

Despite Luckey’s insistence that the items in the pictures bear little resemblance to what’s about to be unveiled by the Facebook-owned outfit, the images appear to offer some clues as to what consumers can now expect.

For starters, there’s what looks to be some kind of input controller complete with a circular touch pad at one end. Another image shows the tracking camera that points toward the Rift to establish its position, shown in the image resembling a microphone atop a pole. Finally, on the headset itself, you’ll notice a front-facing camera.

So are these renders truly “ancient,” or is Luckey just trying to dampen down a website blunder? Pop back to DT tomorrow where you’ll find all the latest news from the Oculus team’s much-anticipated pre-E3 conference.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Vision Pro headset proves buggy for prominent Apple tipster
Apple Vision Pro being worn by a person while using a keyboard.

Apple's Vision Pro headset reached its first customers on February 2. Apple

Apple’s new Vision Pro mixed-reality headset appears to be the buggiest first-generation device ever launched by the tech giant.

Read more
Watch Apple’s new ‘Get Ready’ ad for its Vision Pro headset
A screenshot from Apple's Vision Pro ad released in January 2024.

Apple’s Vision Pro headset -- the company’s most significant product launch since the Apple Watch in 2015 -- is almost here.

The eagerly awaited mixed-reality goggles will be available to preorder in the U.S. starting January 19 ahead of an official launch on February 2, the tech giant revealed on Monday. Other countries are expected to follow soon after.

Read more
Spatial computing went public this year, but the true test is ahead
Apple Vision Pro's spatial computing could make it easier to work from home.

2023 was the year the world at large was introduced to the term spatial computing. Even though Apple didn't invent the term, its use of it while announcing the Vision Pro instead of "mixed-reality" or "augmented reality" was notable.

In short, a spatial computer is a new type of device with a wearable display, the ability to sense the surrounding area, and a user interface based on the wearer's hands, eyes, and voice instead of a traditional screen. But Apple is hardly alone in its pursuit. 2023 saw some huge releases from major players in the game, pushing this technology to places it's never been before, but it will only get bigger in 2024.
Spatial computing in 2023
As we approach the end of 2023, let's review several devices that almost qualify as spatial computers but fall short of replacing your laptop or revolutionizing computing. AR and VR headsets that include hand-tracking and some form of computer vision are intriguing but ultimately aren't practical enough for most people. AR glasses and smart glasses are much more inviting due to their relatively small and light form but lack complete spatial computing features.
AR headsets
A rendering of virtual graphics seen in a Microsoft HoloLens. Microsoft / Microsoft

Read more