Oculus Rift S
| Oculus Rift S | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | PC VR |
| Platform | Oculus Store, SteamVR |
| Developer | Oculus VR, Lenovo |
| Manufacturer | Meta Platforms |
| Announcement Date | March 20, 2019 (GDC) |
| Release Date | May 21, 2019 |
| Price | $399 USD |
| Website | https://www.meta.com/ |
| Predecessor | Oculus Rift CV1 |
| Successor | Meta Quest 2 (standalone) |
| System | |
| Storage | |
| Display | |
| Display | LCD (single panel) |
| Resolution | 1280×1440 per eye (2560×1440 combined) |
| Refresh Rate | 80 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 115° (horizontal ~88°) |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Fresnel lenses |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| IPD Range | Software adjustment only |
| Passthrough | Monochrome (Passthrough+) |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | Inside-out 6DoF (Oculus Insight, 5 cameras) |
| Eye Tracking | No |
| Hand Tracking | No |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Built-in headband speakers, 3.5mm jack |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | DisplayPort, USB 3.0 |
| Device | |
| Weight | ~500g |
| Color | Black |
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The Oculus Rift S is a PC VR head-mounted display co-developed by Oculus VR and Lenovo, released on May 21, 2019 at $399. It served as the successor to the Oculus Rift CV1, introducing inside-out tracking via Oculus Insight (5 cameras) to eliminate external sensors, a new halo headband design for improved comfort, and a higher-resolution LCD display. The Rift S was announced at GDC 2019 alongside the Oculus Quest and was discontinued in April 2021 as Meta shifted focus to standalone VR.
History and Development
Oculus announced the Rift S at GDC 2019 on March 20, 2019, developed in collaboration with Lenovo's engineering team. The partnership leveraged Lenovo's expertise in PC VR headset design (from their Explorer WMR headset) while Oculus contributed their Insight tracking technology from the Quest development.[1]
The Rift S was discontinued in April 2021 as the Quest 2 demonstrated that standalone VR with optional PC VR Link capability could serve both markets.[2]
Design and Hardware
Display
Upgraded display over CV1:
- Single fast-switch LCD panel (vs dual OLED on CV1)
- 1280×1440 resolution per eye
- 2560×1440 combined resolution (improved from 2160×1200)
- 80 Hz refresh rate (reduced from CV1's 90 Hz)
- 115° field of view (slightly wider than CV1's 110°)
- Fresnel optics
Tracking
Oculus Insight inside-out tracking system:
- 5 cameras built into headset
- 2 front-facing cameras
- 2 side-facing cameras
- 1 top-facing camera
- No external sensors required
- Computer vision algorithms for real-time tracking
- Tracks both headset and Touch controllers
Controllers
Second-generation Oculus Touch:
- Same controllers as Oculus Quest
- Tracking ring on top (visible to headset cameras)
- Ergonomic design
- Per controller: thumbstick, 2 buttons, 2 triggers, system menu
- Excellent grip sensing
Comfort (Lenovo Design)
Lenovo co-designed for improved ergonomics:
- New halo headband design
- Better weight distribution
- Improved light blocking
- Single-cable system (clutter-free)
- ~500g weight
IPD Adjustment
- No physical IPD adjustment mechanism
- Software-only IPD setting
- May cause discomfort for users outside typical range
Audio
Different approach than CV1:
- Built-in speakers in headband
- Hear VR audio and surroundings simultaneously
- 3.5mm audio jack for headphones
- Not as immersive as CV1's integrated headphones
Passthrough+
Room-awareness feature:
- Monochrome passthrough view
- See real world without removing headset
- Minimal depth disparity
- Low performance impact
- Uses ASW technology
System Requirements
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 480 or higher
- CPU: Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or higher
- RAM: 8 GB
- Ports: DisplayPort, USB 3.0
- OS: Windows 10
Comparison with Rift CV1
| Feature | Rift CV1 | Rift S |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080×1200/eye | 1280×1440/eye |
| Display | Dual OLED | LCD |
| Refresh Rate | 90 Hz | 80 Hz |
| Tracking | External sensors | Inside-out (5 cameras) |
| IPD Adjustment | Physical | Software only |
| Audio | Integrated headphones | Headband speakers |
| Price | $399 | $399 |
Reception
Praise:
- Inside-out tracking eliminates external sensors
- Simple setup and clutter-free experience
- Resolution improvement over CV1
- Comfortable halo headband design
- $399 price maintained
- Same excellent Touch controllers
- Passthrough+ feature useful
- Better tracking coverage than WMR 2-camera systems
- Good clarity and reduced screen door effect
Criticism:
- 80 Hz refresh rate (down from CV1's 90 Hz)
- LCD display (not OLED—worse blacks)
- No physical IPD adjustment
- Headband speakers less immersive than CV1 headphones
- Short product lifespan (discontinued 2021)
- Requires gaming PC
- Some tracking dead zones for controllers[3]
See Also
References
- ↑ "Announcing Oculus Rift S, Our New PC VR Headset Launching Spring 2019 for $399". Meta. https://www.meta.com/blog/announcing-oculus-rift-s-our-new-pc-vr-headset-launching-spring-2019/.
- ↑ "Oculus Rift S". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oculus_Rift_S.
- ↑ "Oculus Rift S Revealed with Inside-out Tracking, Resolution Bump, & New Ergonomics". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-rift-s-specs-release-date-announcement-gdc-2019/.
- ↑ "Oculus Rift S Review". Trusted Reviews. https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/oculus-rift-s.