Oculus Developing A Lower-End, Standalone Virtual Reality Device

If you’re one of those people who was perhaps interested in buying the Oculus Rift, only you don’t own a computer powerful enough to handle it, the Facebook-owned company says it’s got a new virtual reality product in the works that won’t require a Windows PC or even a mobile phone to use it.

Facing competition from the likes of HTC, Sony, and Google, Facebook’s Oculus group said the lower-end, standalone device will cost less than the $599 Rift, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The pricey device had “a little bit of a slow start,” Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg admitted on Thursday at its developers conference in San Jose, CA.

Part of the problem with the Rift is Oculus doesn’t have a super popular game to attract mainstream consumers, WSJ notes. To that end, Zuckerberg said Facebook will shell out $250 million to developers creating virtual-reality content, in addition to the $250 million already spent.

Oculus could use a hit device: Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster told the WSJ that he projects the company will end the year with 180,000 units sold, a much more pessimistic outlook than the sales target of 500,000 units he set earlier this year.

Facebook’s Oculus Working on Stand-Alone Virtual-Reality Device [The Wall Street Journal]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.