Oculus Rift DK1

Oculus Rift DK1 (Development Kit 1)
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	Head-mounted display
Subtype	PC VR
Platform	Oculus SDK
Creator	Oculus VR
Developer	Oculus VR
Manufacturer	Oculus VR
Announcement Date	August 1, 2012 (Kickstarter)
Release Date	March 28, 2013
Price	$300
Website	https://www.oculus.com/ (legacy)
Versions	Oculus Rift DK1
Requires	Gaming PC
Predecessor	None
Successor	Oculus Rift DK2
System
Operating System	Windows, macOS, Linux
Chipset	N/A (tethered PCVR)
CPU	N/A (PC-powered)
GPU	N/A (PC-powered)
Storage
Storage	N/A
Memory	N/A
SD Card Slot	No
Display
Display	LCD (RGB stripe)
Subpixel Layout	RGB stripe
Peak Brightness	Not specified
Resolution	640 × 800 per eye (1280 × 800 combined)
Pixel Density	~215 PPI
Refresh Rate	60Hz
Persistence	Full persistence
Image
Field of View	110° diagonal (90° horizontal)
Horizontal FoV	~90°
Vertical FoV	~110°
Average Pixel Density	~8 PPD
Peak Pixel Density	~8 PPD
Foveated Rendering	No
Optics
Optics	Custom lenses (3 pairs included: A, B, C)
Ocularity	Binocular
IPD Range	Physical lens adjustment + focal length
Adjustable Diopter	Yes (via lens cups)
Passthrough	No
Tracking
Tracking	3DoF (rotational only)
Tracking Frequency	1000Hz (IMU)
Base Stations	None
Eye Tracking	No
Face Tracking	No
Hand Tracking	No
Body Tracking	No
Rotational Tracking	Yes
Positional Tracking	No
Update Rate	60Hz
Tracking Volume	Seated
Play Space	Seated
Latency	50-60ms motion-to-photon
Audio
Audio	3.5mm audio jack
Microphone	No
3.5mm Audio Jack	Yes
Camera	No
Connectivity
Connectivity	HDMI/DVI (via control box), USB
Ports	Control box: HDMI, DVI, Mini USB, DC
Wired Video	Yes (HDMI/DVI via control box)
Wireless Video	No
WiFi	No
Bluetooth	No
Power	External power adapter
Battery Capacity	N/A
Battery Life	N/A (tethered)
Charge Time	N/A
Device
Dimensions	~230mm × 100mm × 110mm
Weight	379g
Material	Plastic
Headstrap	Ski goggle style straps
Haptics	No
Color	Black
Sensors	Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer (1000Hz 9DOF)
Input	Xbox controller, mouse/keyboard
Compliance	Development use (not consumer certified)

The Oculus Rift DK1 (Development Kit 1) is the first development virtual reality head-mounted display created by Oculus VR, launched via Kickstarter on August 1, 2012, and released to backers on March 28, 2013, for $300. The DK1 is widely credited with reigniting the modern VR industry after years of dormancy, demonstrating that affordable consumer VR was achievable with smartphone-era components. Featuring a 7-inch LCD display split into 1280 × 800 resolution (640 × 800 per eye), a 110° diagonal field of view, and 3DoF rotational tracking via a 1000Hz 9-axis IMU, the DK1 delivered a prototype VR experience that convinced developers, investors, and the public that VR's time had finally come. Despite its limitations—no positional tracking, significant motion blur, and screen door effect—the DK1's Kickstarter raised $2.4 million (on a $250,000 goal) and ultimately led to Facebook's $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR in 2014.

History and Development

Palmer Luckey Origins

Inventor background:

• VR enthusiast since teenage years
• Collected vintage VR headsets
• Built prototypes in garage
• Breakthrough design insight

Kickstarter Campaign

August 1, 2012:

• $250,000 goal
• Raised $2.4 million
• 9,522 backers
• Industry attention

Development Kit Purpose

Developer focus:

• Hardware for content creation
• Not consumer product
• VR development enablement
• Industry foundation

March 2013 Release

Backer fulfillment:

• First units shipped
• Developer excitement
• VR renaissance begun
• Modern VR era started

Design Philosophy

Affordable Components

Cost breakthrough:

• Smartphone displays
• Off-the-shelf sensors
• Simple construction
• $300 achievable

Wide Field of View

Immersion priority:

• 110° diagonal
• Much wider than existing VR
• Key to presence
• Palmer Luckey insight

Developer Platform

Development focus:

• Experimentation enabled
• Content creation
• Industry exploration
• Not polished consumer device

Display Technology

LCD Panel

Basic specification:

• Resolution: 1280 × 800 (640×800/eye)
• Size: 7 inches
• Type: LCD RGB stripe
• Aspect: Portrait orientation

Resolution Limitations

Known constraints:

• Visible pixels (screen door)
• Limited clarity
• Text difficult
• Development acceptable

Refresh Rate

Standard timing:

• 60Hz fixed
• Full persistence
• Motion blur present
• Comfort challenges

Screen Door Effect

Visible limitation:

• Pixel grid visible
• Characteristic of era
• Immersion breaker
• Resolution limit

Field of View

110° Diagonal FOV

Wide specification:

• 90° horizontal approximately
• 110° vertical/diagonal
• Wider than competitors
• Immersion benefit

FOV Innovation

Palmer Luckey design:

• Wide-angle lenses
• Display positioning
• Key differentiator
• Presence enabler

Optical System

Multiple Lens Pairs

Vision accommodation:

• A cups (mild vision needs)
• B cups (moderate)
• C cups (stronger)
• User selectable

Focal Length Adjustment

Physical mechanism:

• Distance adjustable
• Lens-to-display
• Vision accommodation
• User customization

Distortion

Optical characteristic:

• Barrel distortion present
• Software correction
• Pincushion pre-distortion
• Standard approach

Tracking System

3DoF Only

Rotational tracking:

• Pitch (looking up/down)
• Yaw (looking left/right)
• Roll (head tilt)
• No positional tracking

9-Axis IMU

High-speed sensing:

• Accelerometer
• Gyroscope
• Magnetometer
• 1000Hz update rate

No Positional Tracking

Key limitation:

• Cannot detect position
• No leaning/ducking
• Seated use only
• DK2 addressed this

Drift

Known issue:

• Magnetometer calibration
• Orientation drift over time
• Periodic reset needed
• Development challenge

Control Box

External Unit

Required component:

• Between PC and headset
• Video/power routing
• Controls interface
• Required for operation

Connections

I/O ports:

• HDMI input
• DVI input (alternative)
• Mini USB
• DC power connector

Display Controls

User adjustment:

• Brightness control
• Contrast control
• Power button
• Basic interface

Latency

Motion-to-Photon

Notable limitation:

• 50-60ms latency
• Significant delay
• Comfort affecting
• Motion sickness contributor

Latency Impact

User experience:

• VR sickness concern
• Presence breaking
• Development challenge
• Improved in DK2

Audio

3.5mm Audio Jack

External audio:

• Headphones required
• No built-in speakers
• User choice
• Standard port

No Microphone

External needed:

• Separate mic required
• Simple design
• Development focus
• Basic specification

Physical Design

Ski Goggle Style

Basic form:

• Foam face interface
• Elastic straps
• Adjustable fit
• Prototype appearance

Weight

Reasonable mass:

• 379g (13.4 oz)
• Comfortable enough
• Development adequate
• Not heavy

Build Quality

Development appropriate:

• Prototype construction
• Functional design
• Not consumer refined
• Development purpose

PC Requirements

2013 Era Requirements

Modest by VR standards:

• DirectX 11 GPU
• HDMI or DVI output
• USB port
• Reasonable PC

Multi-Platform

OS support:

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux
• Developer flexibility

Software

Oculus SDK

Development platform:

• Unity integration
• Unreal support
• Low-level access
• Regular updates

Demo Content

Early experiences:

• Tuscany demo
• Roller coaster demos
• Developer prototypes
• Experimental content

Industry Impact

VR Renaissance

Industry effect:

• Revived VR interest
• Proved affordable VR possible
• Investor attention
• Developer enthusiasm

Kickstarter Success

Crowdfunding milestone:

• $2.4M raised (10× goal)
• VR demand demonstrated
• Community building
• Industry validation

Media Coverage

Public attention:

• Extensive press coverage
• Celebrity endorsements (John Carmack)
• Consumer awareness
• Hype building

Facebook Acquisition

Ultimate outcome:

• $2 billion (March 2014)
• VR industry legitimized
• Massive investment follows
• Industry transformation

Known Limitations

No Positional Tracking

3DoF constraint:

• Cannot detect movement
• Seated experiences only
• Leaning not tracked
• Fundamental limitation

Motion Blur

Full persistence issue:

• Display always on
• Trail/blur visible
• Comfort affecting
• Fixed in DK2

Screen Door Effect

Resolution limit:

• Visible pixel grid
• Immersion breaking
• Era characteristic
• Resolution needed

High Latency

Delay problem:

• 50-60ms motion-to-photon
• VR sickness contributor
• Presence challenge
• Improved later

Legacy

Modern VR Foundation

Historical significance:

• Started modern VR
• Proved concept
• Industry creation
• Consumer VR path

Technology Demonstration

Proof of concept:

• Wide FOV achievable
• Affordable possible
• Smartphone components work
• Consumer VR viable

Technical Specifications Summary

Specification	Details
Display	LCD, 640 × 800 per eye
Total Resolution	1280 × 800
Refresh Rate	60Hz (full persistence)
FOV	110° diagonal (~90° horizontal)
Tracking	3DoF (IMU only)
Latency	50-60ms
Audio	3.5mm jack only
Connection	Control box (HDMI/DVI, USB)
Weight	379g
Price	$300
Status	Discontinued (historical)

See Also

• Oculus VR
• Oculus Rift DK2
• Oculus Rift CV1
• Palmer Luckey
• VR History
• Kickstarter VR