Oculus Quest is back in stock in the US, though you probably shouldn't hang around if you want one of the untethered virtual reality headsets. The Facebook-owned company has struggled to keep up with demand for Quest over the past few months, even with the VR wearable being a year old at this point - and with rumors suggesting a new, updated version is close at hand.
Facebook is readying a new Oculus Quest standalone VR headset, potentially trimming weight and bulk of the head-worn display, though COVID-19 may have pulled the rug out from under the release roadmap. Launched last year, Quest promised to be as comfortable and liberating as untethered virtual reality headsets, but with graphics quality closer to traditional wired headsets like Oculus Rift S.
It's no secret that many VR headset owners play the audio game Beat Saber as a form of at-home exercise, something Oculus has embraced with the release of a new song called 'FitBeat.' The newly added track is designed to help players burn calories; it utilizes the game's 90-degree and 360-degree modes for extra movements and includes workout-like voice instructions.
The waiting line outside the next social network just started, taking the form of a Beta sign-up for what's called Facebook Horizon. This social network experience was announced this morning at Oculus Connect, and detailed soon after initial announcement as a virtual reality project aimed at the year 2020. This isn't like your average social media brand launch - this social network is in VR, and lets you fly an airplane.
Today we're running down the just-released details of Oculus Connect 6. This event will take place at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, California. Dates for Oculus Connect 6 are September 25 and 26, 2019. The event promises to be a major moment in the history of both Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality with keynotes, presentations, and talks with big names like John Carmack and Respawn Entertainment. Given the latest notes from Carmack, this event promises to be a shock to the senses.
Seven major games were shown at OC5 today by Oculus, by in Oculus Studios and in Oculus Publishing, too. In the Oculus Studio Titles category were Stormland by Insomniac Games, Lone Echo II by Ready At Dawn, Echo Combat (also by Ready at Dawn), and Defector by Twisted Pixel. Under the Oculus Publishing Titles umbrella were three titles: VOX Machinae by Space Bullet, Space Junkies by Ubisoft, and Final Assault by Phaser Lock.
![Star Wars: Vader Immortal trailer and release info revealed [UPDATE]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/oculus-connect-5-2018-9-980x620.jpg)
This week the folks at ILMxLAB spoke at Oculus Connect 5 about their new title "Vader Immortal." This is a virtual reality experience that takes place in three parts - the first of which is called Vader Immortal: Episode I. In the game, users will travel to Mustafar, to Darth Vader's palace. This experience will take place in the Star Wars universe in the period of time between Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope.
YouTube VR finally made its way to Oculus GO this week at OC5. That's Oculus Connect, the 5th in a row, bringing with it a wide array of new games and experiences in each of the three Oculus VR headsets. This app brings the entire world of YouTube to Oculus GO in more ways than one.
Oculus Quest is Facebook's big-time next-generation VR headset. This device is wireless, comes with Touch Controllers, and offers 6DoF (6 degrees of freedom.) It has built-in audio (with a system similar to previous all-in-one mobile VR systems) - and it's running its own OS (based on Android). Inside the device is a series of sensors that allows the device to run free from other devices.
This isn't the first time anyone's tried to use VR for a live event - but it might be the most important. This week the folks at Oculus revealed their intent to bring LIVE events to the Oculus Go and Gear VR. No word yet on if this bit of functionality will come to the most powerful of the bunch: Oculus Rift.
Oculus revealed a pair of new headsets earlier today which make their next generation wireless. Or nearly wireless, that is to say - they still need to be charged up with wires. Both the Oculus GO and the "Oculus Santa Cruz" are made to expand the VR universe to a new place - one that does not connect to the PC with a big fat cord, and one that does not require a separate smartphone to function.
This week the folks at Oculus cut the price of bundle packages for the Oculus Rift. The headset's price point is a permanent change, coming because the company suggests they want to "get VR into more people's hands." This comes a few months after Oculus Rift's main opposition - the HTC VIVE - got its own price drop to $599 - that's below the whopping $799 the device cost in the first place.