Oculus Rift DK2
The Oculus Rift Development Kit 2 (DK2) is the second development kit virtual reality head-mounted display created by Oculus VR. Released on July 24, 2014 at $350, the DK2 featured significant improvements over DK1 including a 1920 x 1080 OLED display (Samsung Galaxy Note 3 panel), low persistence rendering, and external positional tracking via an IR camera. The DK2 enabled developers to create VR content ahead of the consumer Rift launch and shipped to over 100,000 developers. Oculus open-sourced the DK2 hardware designs under Creative Commons in 2020.[1]
| Oculus Rift DK2 | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | Development Kit |
| Platform | PC |
| Creator | Oculus VR |
| Price | $350 |
| Website | https://www.oculus.com |
| System | |
| CPU | 2.5 GHz+ (min) |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 970 equivalent+ (rec) |
| Storage | |
| Display | |
| Display | 5.7" OLED (PenTile) |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 (960 x 1080 per eye) |
| Image | |
| Optics | |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 6DoF (IR camera + IMU) |
| Audio | |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | HDMI, USB |
| Ports | HDMI, USB 2.0 |
| Device | |
| Weight | 440g |
| Sensors | Gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, IR LEDs |
| Input | Gamepad (not included) |
History and Development
March 2014 Announcement
DK2 was revealed at GDC 2014 following the success of DK1.
July 2014 Release
Development kits began shipping July 24, 2014.
Over 100,000 Units
More than 100,000 DK2 units were shipped to developers worldwide.
Open Source Release
In 2020, Oculus released DK2 schematics, firmware, and mechanicals under open source licenses.
Design and Hardware
Display System
- Panel: 5.7-inch OLED (Samsung Galaxy Note 3 display)
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (960 x 1080 per eye)
- Type: PenTile matrix
- Refresh Rate: 75 Hz, 72 Hz, 60 Hz
- Persistence: 2ms, 3ms, or full
- Field of View: 100 degrees (nominal)
Improvements Over DK1
- Higher resolution (1080p vs 720p)
- Lower persistence
- More vibrant OLED colors
- Less screen door effect
- Positional tracking added
Optics
- Aspheric lenses
- Fixed IPD: 63.5mm
- Interchangeable lens cups
Tracking
Rotational Tracking
- Sensors: Gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer
- Update Rate: 1000 Hz
- 3 degrees of freedom
Positional Tracking
- System: External IR camera
- Sensor: Near-infrared CMOS
- Update Rate: 60 Hz
- Range: Up to 8.2 feet
- Coverage: 72° horizontal x 52° vertical
Combined Tracking
- Full 6 degrees of freedom
- ~30ms motion-to-photon latency
Connectivity
Cable Hub
Combined connection point for:
- USB 2.0 (data)
- HDMI (video)
- DC power (optional)
- Sync cable (positional tracker)
Built-In Features
Latency Tester
- Built-in latency measurement
- Developer diagnostic tool
- Motion-to-photon testing
System Requirements
Minimum
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| CPU | 2.5 GHz processor |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| OS | Windows 7/8/8.1, Mac 10.8+, Ubuntu 12.04 LTS |
Open Source Release
Available Materials
- Schematics
- Board layouts
- Mechanical CAD
- Artwork
- Specifications
- Firmware source code
Licenses
- Hardware: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
- Firmware: BSD+PATENT
Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 5.7" OLED (PenTile) |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 (shared) |
| Per-Eye | 960 x 1080 |
| Refresh Rate | 75/72/60 Hz |
| Field of View | 100° |
| Positional Tracking | IR camera |
| Rotational Update | 1000 Hz |
| Positional Update | 60 Hz |
| Weight | 440g |
| Price | $350 |
Legacy
Development Impact
DK2 enabled the VR development ecosystem that supported the consumer Rift launch.
Successor
The Oculus Rift CV1 consumer version launched in March 2016.