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) |