OCULUS RIFT DK2

Virtual reality technology is literally a game changer. For the first time since 3D graphics came around 20 years ago, it radically changes the way we play games and opens the door to new experiences that until now would’ve been impossible. The Oculus Rift is the first headset available, and it does a fantastic job of not just displaying high-quality VR, but making it easy to use.

It’s tough to relate the experiences the OCULUS RIFT DK2 can give you with words and two-dimensional video and images, because this is unlike anything most people have ever seen. To give you an idea of how powerful it is to fully immerse yourself in a virtual world: it can not only make you forget where you really are, but fool your brain into thinking you’re moving (or falling) when you’re actually sitting still, creating a real sensation you can feel in your stomach. It’s hard to believe this technology exists – and that it works – but it does. It is, in a word, amazing.Oculus Rift Unboxing

It’s also pricy. At $600, on top of requiring a fairly powerful PC, the Rift is very much a fancy toy for enthusiast early adopters. But unlike most first-generation consumer technology, what you get here is surprisingly polished and easy to use.

All you need to do is install the software from www.oculus.com/setup, plug the headset into a USB 3.0 port and an HDMI port, plug the sleek-looking camera sensor into a second USB 3.0 port and point it at where you intend to sit or stand, and then plug the included Xbox One wireless controller dongle into any USB 2.0 or 3.0 port. I was up and running in minutes, and had no issues making the software or hardware work as intended.

The Rift headset itself is light, weighing just over a pound. That weight doesn’t include slight addition of the single, four-meter (13.2-foot) cord the width of an Ethernet cable; that cable contains both HDMI and USB connectors, and splits near the end so you can plug them both into your PC. The weight of the headset is comfortably distributed by the straps that secure it to your head, and thanks to soft padding where it makes contact with your face (which is replaceable, but only one comes in the box) it feels like wearing some nice but slightly heavy ski goggles. Despite its light weight, its textured matte plastic housing doesn’t look or feel cheap or flimsy, and it doesn’t pick up fingerprints or smudges – which is nice on a device you’ll handle frequently

Velcro straps on the top and sides allow you to adjust the fit easily, though as someone with a hard-to-find hat size (my head is almost 26 inches in circumference), I would’ve preferred if the maximum extended size of the side straps were just a little bigger. Like ski goggles, the Rift can leave an impression on your face if you wear it for more than a short while and have it tight enough to not wobble out of focus as you move your head. This has become known around the office as “VR Face,” and it’s something you need to be conscious of: you may not want to jump into VR before going out on the town or posing for your yearbook photo.

The sleek black IR sensor camera that tracks your head movements with astonishing accuracy sits on a built-in stand that suspends it 10 inches above your desk, and you can tilt it up or down to cover whatever area you need. It’s a very understated look, which I appreciate - this device shouldn’t attract attention as it sits discreetly next to your monitor, or even on a shelf near your PC. Also, I’ve found it to be fairly generous in the area it tracks, extending beyond what the setup software leads you to believe. It has its limits, of course – this is not a “room-scale” VR system, so you’re expected to use it while seated or standing without walking more than a step in any direction.

When you put the Rift on it forms a tight seal around your eyes, blocking out everything except a little bit of room around your nose through which you can look down. I’ve found that sliver of light easy to ignore during games (I usually don’t notice it until I look for it) and also useful when I want to look down to find a controller or keyboard, or take a sip from a drink without taking the headset off.




When you do take it off, a handy proximity sensor on the inside detects that it’s been removed and turns the headset off and pauses your game (if it can be paused). Putting it back on automatically reactivates the headset, smartly managing the lifespan of the OLED screens without ever interfering with use.

A slider switch on the underside of the headset allows you to adjust the distance between the eyepiece lenses to match the distance between your eyes, known as interpupillary distance or IPD. When it’s set up right, the image is strikingly clear; with two 1080x1200 screens (one for each eye) and a combined resolution of 2160x1200, you get a high level of detail and clearly readable text. Because the screen is literally next to your face you can definitely see the pixels, especially in brightly lit environments, but the moment things start moving around they become much less noticeable. The Rift’s viewing angle is stated as 110 degrees, which is substantial, but again resembles ski or snorkeling goggles in the way it limits your peripheral vision.

When using hardware that meets or exceeds the recommended specs, the 90-frames-per-second refresh rate is, as promised, extremely smooth, and latency as you move your head is non-existent. (I have experienced a few games that eventually became choppy as I played, but restarting them fixed it.) The only noticeable artifacting is a light-streak effect that happens when I’m in a black environment with bright-white text, as is often seen during title screens and startup sequence. I suspect this has more to do with the way the light hits the lenses than the Rift’s software.