Could the Rift S get the much-needed update?
While the Oculus Quest is getting all sorts of attention in the virtual reality market, the Rift S seems forgotten. That’s because the former comes with controller-less hand-tracking, while the Rift doesn’t. But it sounds like Oculus may be looking into resolving this.
A report from Road To VR suggests that the Quest’s recent release of hand-tracking could serve as a potential testing ground for an update to the Rift S. This comes from an unnamed Oculus spokesperson who noted that the company was “(listening) to the feedback from Quest.” It’s also “(evaluating) the technical challenges of bringing it to other devices.”
Without confirmation of who the website spoke with, it’s hard to judge the validity of such a statement. But a lot of Rift S users have filed complaints about the lack of hand-tracking, despite the fact it’s not built the same as the Quest. There’s a question of how it could handle some of the technical challenges that come with it, namely with its camera set-up and lack of power. (In a nutshell, the laptop or desktop the headset has a connection with would need to do the technical work.)
But, on the flip side, introducing hand-tracking could open up a market for more apps and games for the Rift S, increasing its popularity alongside the Quest. So maybe figuring out a solution would be worth it.
Oculus hasn’t officially said anything just yet. But the Consumer Electronics Show is just around the corner, set to take place in Las Vegas in early January.
