Co-founder Brendan Iribe has announced he is leaving Oculus after a six years run started with his friend Palmer Luckey on Kickstarter.
Co-founder Brendan Iribe has announced he is leaving Oculus after a six years run started with his friend Palmer Luckey on Kickstarter.
The company, which was sold to Facebook in 2015, has reportedly canceled Iribe’s project for a Rift 2, even though Facebook has denied this rumor and claims it is still “planning” its release.
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“So much has happened since the day we founded Oculus in July 2012. I never could have imagined how much we would accomplish and how far we would come. And now, after six incredible years, I am moving on,” Iribe said in a note.
“I’m deeply proud and grateful for all that we’ve done together. We assembled one of the greatest research and engineering teams in history, delivered the first step of true virtual presence with Oculus Rift and Touch, and inspired an entirely new industry. We started a revolution that will change the world in ways we can’t even envision.
(…) The success of Oculus was only possible because of such an extraordinary team effort. I’d like to sincerely thank everyone that’s been a part of this amazing journey, especially Mark for believing in this team and the future of VR and AR.
As for me, this will be the first real break I’ve taken in over 20 years. It’s time to recharge, reflect and be creative. I’m excited for the next chapter.”
As for Rift 2, a Facebook rep told TechCrunch that “while we can’t comment on our product roadmap specifics, we do have future plans, and can confirm that we are planning for a future version of Rift.”
Rumors claimed the company was more oriented towards PC-free devices like Oculus Quest, which are apparently a more sustainable mean to bring VR experiences to the masses.
