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| The retirement of the Oculus Rift S marks the end of an era |
Facebook has confirmed that it will no longer copy the Oculus Rift S VR headset connected to a computer, marking the end of an era.
There are two types of consumer virtual reality systems: the first is powered entirely by a smartphone, with the glasses holding the phone and the lens, and the second are heavier glasses attached to a computer.
Products like Google Cardboard have silently disappeared. The PC headphones end hour appears to have come as the Oculus Rift S has disappeared from the mainstream sales channel.
While you can still buy glasses at some online stores, this endorsement marks the end of Facebook's personal computing product line, from headphones to virtual reality, that entered consumers' eyes five years ago.
The Oculus Rift S is manufactured by Lenovo and launched in 2019 with the original, standalone Oculus Quest glasses, for $ 399.
The Oculus Rift S replaces the Oculus Rift released in 2016.
Facebook has added USB-controlled PC mode to Oculus Quest and is committed to adding new features to the system on the Rift S.
Facebook began selling the newer, lighter, and more powerful Oculus Quest 2 glasses for $ 299 in late 2020. In less than six months, sales exceeded sales of Facebook with its virtual reality compact goggles.
A Facebook representative said, "The Rift S is still available in select chains around the world. However, as we announced last year, we plan to end sales of the Rift S in 2021. Since the series is unavailable, this will not be the case. Updated."
Facebook executives believe Oculus Quest 2 should be the first consumer virtual reality headset, and the company will continue to hire people at very high prices.
Nearly 20% of Facebook employees work in fields related to VR and AR technology, and future Quest glasses could include face tracking technology.