Oculus Rift CV1
| Oculus Rift CV1 | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | PC VR |
| Platform | Oculus Store, SteamVR |
| Developer | Oculus VR |
| Manufacturer | Meta Platforms |
| Announcement Date | January 6, 2016 |
| Release Date | March 28, 2016 |
| Price | $599 USD (headset), $199 USD (Touch controllers) |
| Website | https://www.meta.com/ |
| Predecessor | Oculus Rift DK2 |
| Successor | Oculus Rift S |
| System | |
| Storage | |
| Display | |
| Display | 2× OLED |
| Resolution | 1080×1200 per eye (2160×1200 combined) |
| Refresh Rate | 90 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 87° |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Hybrid Fresnel |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| IPD Range | 58-72mm (physical dial) |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | Outside-in 6DoF (Constellation) |
| Eye Tracking | No |
| Hand Tracking | No |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Integrated headphones (removable) |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | HDMI 1.3, USB 3.0 |
| Device | |
| Weight | ~470g |
| Color | Black |
The Oculus Rift CV1 (Consumer Version 1), commonly known as the Oculus Rift, is the first commercial PC VR head-mounted display developed by Oculus VR, announced on January 6, 2016 and released on March 28, 2016 at $599. The CV1 marked the beginning of the modern VR era, featuring dual 90 Hz OLED displays with 1080×1200 resolution per eye, the Constellation external tracking system for 6DoF positional tracking, and integrated audio. The Oculus Touch motion controllers were released later in December 2016 for $199, completing the room-scale VR experience.
History and Development
Oculus (acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $2 billion) released the CV1 after years of development following the wildly successful DK1 and DK2 developer kits. Pre-orders opened January 6, 2016, with shipping beginning March 28, 2016. The CV1 was the first consumer VR headset of the modern VR revival, launching alongside the HTC Vive and positioning VR as a viable consumer technology.[1]
Oculus Touch motion controllers were released on December 6, 2016 for $199, enabling hand presence and room-scale experiences comparable to the HTC Vive. The CV1 was discontinued in 2019, succeeded by the Oculus Rift S.[2]
Design and Hardware
Display
Dual OLED displays:
- Two OLED panels
- 1080×1200 resolution per eye
- 2160×1200 combined resolution
- 90 Hz refresh rate
- 233 million pixels per second
- 87° field of view
- Vibrant OLED colors
- Minimal screen door effect (for its time)
Optics
- Hybrid Fresnel lenses
- Physical IPD adjustment dial (58-72mm)
- "God rays" noted as optical flaw
- Large sweet spot
Tracking
Constellation tracking system:
- External infrared sensors
- Track IR LEDs on headset and controllers
- Sub-millimeter accuracy
- Low latency
- 6 Degrees of Freedom
- 360° tracking with 2+ sensors
- Room-scale with 3+ sensors
Audio
Integrated audio system:
- Built-in over-ear headphones
- High-quality 3D spatial audio
- User-replaceable headphones
- Aftermarket options (JBL, others)
- No external headphones needed
Build
- ~470g weight
- All-black sleek design
- Soft plastic and fabric exterior
- Rubber and cloth materials
- Single-cable tethering to PC
- Improved ergonomics vs DK2
Oculus Touch Controllers
Released December 6, 2016:
- Two motion controllers
- Tracked by Constellation system
- Thumb sticks
- Face buttons
- Analog triggers
- Capacitive sensors detect finger presence
- Hand presence gestures
- $199 separate purchase (later bundled)
Package Contents
At launch:
- Oculus Rift HMD
- Single Constellation sensor
- Xbox One controller (no Touch at launch)
- Oculus Remote
- Cables and documentation
System Requirements
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD R9 290 or higher
- CPU: Intel i5-4590 or equivalent
- RAM: 8 GB
- Ports: 3× USB 3.0, 1× USB 2.0, HDMI 1.3
- OS: Windows 7 SP1 64-bit or later
Reception
Praise:
- First successful consumer VR headset
- 90 Hz OLED displays vibrant
- Constellation tracking accurate and low-latency
- Integrated audio excellent
- Oculus Touch controllers revolutionary
- Started modern VR era
- Strong launch library
- Physical IPD adjustment
- Comfortable design
Criticism:
- $599 price controversial at launch
- Touch controllers sold separately at launch
- "God rays" optical artifact
- Requires external sensors
- Complex multi-sensor setup
- Xbox controller inadequate for VR
- Multiple USB ports required
- Competing HTC Vive included controllers[3]
Legacy
The Oculus Rift CV1 is considered the headset that launched the modern VR era. It proved consumer VR was viable and established many conventions:
- 90 Hz as minimum for comfortable VR
- 6DoF tracking standard
- Motion controllers essential for presence
- Integrated audio important for immersion
See Also
References
- ↑ "Oculus Rift CV1". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oculus_Rift_CV1.
- ↑ "On this day 8 years ago, Oculus Rift CV1 was released". XDA Developers. https://www.xda-developers.com/on-this-day-oculus-rift-cv1/.
- ↑ "Oculus Reveals Recommended Rift Specs and Confirms CV1 Resolution". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-rift-resolution-recommended-specs/.