Oculus Rift

This article is about the product line. For the 2016 headset, see Oculus Rift CV1. For the 2019 headset, see Oculus Rift S.
Oculus Rift
Product typeVirtual reality headset (PC, tethered)
OwnerOculus VR
CountryUnited States
IntroducedApril 2012
DiscontinuedApril 2021
MarketsWorldwide
TaglineStep into the Game
Websiteoculusvr.com

Oculus Rift is a discontinued line of virtual reality headsets developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, a virtual reality company founded by Palmer Luckey that is widely credited with reviving the virtual reality industry. It was the first virtual reality headset to provide a realistic experience at an accessible price, utilizing novel technology to increase quality and reduce cost by orders of magnitude compared to earlier systems.[1] The first headset in the line was the Oculus Rift DK1, released on March 28, 2013.[2] The last was the Oculus Rift S, discontinued in April 2021.

The Rift went through various pre-production models prior to the release of the Oculus Rift CV1, the first Oculus Rift intended for use by the general public. Two of these, the DK1 in early-2013 and DK2 in mid-2014, were intended to provide content developers with a development kit platform to create content for the Rift's eventual consumer release. However, both development kits were purchased by many gaming enthusiasts who wished to get an early preview of the technology.[3] The Rift saw its official consumer release in March 2016 with the Oculus Rift CV1, and was eventually replaced in March 2019 by the Oculus Rift S.[4][5][6] The Oculus Rift software library is still compatible with its successor, the Oculus Quest.[7]

  1. ^ Rubin, Peter. "The Inside Story of Oculus Rift and How Virtual Reality Became Reality". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Iribe: Over 100,000 Oculus Rift DK2s Shipped". VRFocus. February 16, 2015. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference rift-phaseout-tested was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference rift-phaseout-theverge was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference rift-phaseout-oculusblog was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Oculus Quest 2 vs. Oculus Rift S: Which VR Headset Should You Buy?". PCMAG. Retrieved 2023-05-29.