According to the latest price maneuvers, it is felt that Oculus VR is tired of being satisfied with the status of least populardevice of virtual reality manufacturer. If you take into account the leading in popularity of Samsung Gear VR, which uses smartphones of the same brand, the Oculus VR bypasses also Sony and HTC, and Oculus Rift is in fourth place.
Rumors about the intentions of Oculus VR to create an autonomous helmet of virtual reality have been around for a long time, and now it becomes clear that it is in this direction that the company is going to concentrate its new initiatives. According to Bloomberg , in addition to the more expensive and functionally advanced helmet with the code name Santa Cruz, in development is an inexpensive version of the stand-alone device for $ 200, which will be based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and will not require a connection to a computer or a smartphone for use in a virtual reality environment. The device will yield in accuracy the user's spatial positioning to the Oculus Rift helmet, but will be equipped with a wireless manipulator for working in applications and with the interface of the corporate "store".
Interestingly, as the contractor for the release of this device with the symbol Pacific selected Chinese company Xiaomi, from which in Oculus VR went to work its active figure Hugo Barra (Hugo Barra). All over the world, the device will be sold under the Oculus VR brand, with the exception of China, where brand applications will be added to the Xiaomi brand on the case.
Novelty Oculus VR promises to be lighter and more productive than Samsung Gear VR, without requiring the use of an interfaced smartphone. An advanced tracking system will appear at the autonomous helmet of this brand in the next generation. By the end of 2017, the development of a first-generation helmet should be completed, and it will not be available until 2018. These plans do not abolish the possibility of a closer appearance to the Oculus Rift in terms of the characteristics of a device with a "self-contained" set of components on board that will play in a higher price league. Although, after the recent markdown of Oculus Rift to $ 399 complete with manipulators, there is not much room for maneuver from the developer.