The Oculus Rift was a line of virtual reality headsets that Oculus VR, a company started by Palmer Luckey, created and sold. It was the first virtual reality headset to offer a realistic experience at a price that many people could afford. The company used new technology to improve quality and lower costs compared to earlier systems. The first headset in the line was the Oculus Rift Development Kit 1 (DK1), released on March 28, 2013. The last model was the Oculus Rift S, which was no longer sold in April 2021.

Before the Oculus Rift CV1, the first headset made for the general public, several pre-production models were tested. Two of these models, the DK1 in early 2013 and the DK2 in mid-2014, were designed to help content creators develop games and other content for the Rift. However, many gaming fans also bought these development kits to try the technology early. The Oculus Rift CV1 was officially released to the public in March 2016 and was later replaced in March 2019 by the Oculus Rift S. The software used with the Oculus Rift is still compatible with later models, including the Oculus Go and the Oculus Quest.

History

Through Meant to be Seen (MTBS)'s virtual reality and 3D discussion forums, Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus and longtime MTBS discussion forum moderator, developed the idea of creating a new head-mounted display that was more effective than existing options and affordable for gamers.

The first prototype of the Oculus Rift was created in 2011 by Palmer Luckey (then 18 years old) in his parents’ garage in Long Beach, California. Luckey had been building his own virtual reality headsets since 2009, but the 2011 prototype was the first to use important technologies like geometric pre-distortion and a wide stereoscopic field-of-view, which became key features in his later designs. Luckey decided to leave college and start Oculus VR, aiming to mass-produce his prototype into the first virtual reality headset available to the public.

John Carmack, a well-known video game developer and founder of id Software, had studied virtual reality technology extensively. Luckey shared a prototype Oculus Rift with Carmack, who publicly praised it as "by far the most immersive HMD" he had used. He also noted that the planned price would make it the cheapest option available. At the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo, id Software demonstrated their games on the prototype and announced that their new game, Doom 3 BFG Edition, would work with the Oculus Rift. These early prototypes used a high-speed IMU, a 5.6-inch LCD, and wide-FOV optics to create a 90-degree horizontal and 110-degree vertical stereoscopic 3D view for users.

Two months after forming Oculus VR, the company launched a Kickstarter campaign on August 1, 2012, to fund the development of the Rift. The campaign aimed to give developers access to a prototype called DK1 (Development Kit 1) so they could integrate the device into their games. DK1 was given as a reward to backers who pledged $300 or more and later sold publicly for $300. These kits sold quickly, with 4–5 units sold per minute on the first day.

The Rift DK1 was released on March 29, 2013, and used a 7-inch screen with faster pixel switching than the original prototype, reducing motion blur and latency when users moved their heads. The screen was brighter, had 24 bits of color depth per pixel, and reduced the screen door effect, making individual pixels less visible. The stereoscopic 3D view was no longer fully overlapping between the eyes, with each eye seeing slightly different areas. The field of view (FOV) was more than 90 degrees horizontally (110 degrees diagonally), more than double the FOV of earlier VR devices. The resolution was 1280×800 (16:10 aspect ratio), resulting in 640×800 per eye (4:5 aspect ratio). Because the eyes did not fully overlap, the combined horizontal resolution was greater than 640. Each eye’s image was shown as a barrel-distorted image, which was corrected by pincushion lenses to create a spherical image for each eye.

Early prototypes used a Hillcrest Labs 3DoF head tracker, normally 125 Hz, but modified by Carmack to run at 250 Hz. This was important for reducing latency, which affects how quickly the system responds to user movements. Later versions used Oculus’s 1000 Hz Adjacent Reality Tracker, which combined three-axis gyros, accelerometers, and magnetometers to track head orientation without drifting.

The Development Kit 1 also included interchangeable lenses to help users adjust for vision differences.

In September 2014, the complete source code, firmware, schematics, and mechanical designs for the Rift DK1 were made public. The firmware was released under a simplified BSD license, while the schematics and mechanical designs used a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In June 2013, a prototype using a 1080p LCD panel was shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. This improved resolution reduced the screen door effect and made distant objects in virtual environments clearer. This version was not released as a developer kit.

In January 2014, an updated prototype called "Crystal Cove" was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show. It used a low-persistence OLED display and a new motion tracking system that used an external camera to track infrared dots on the headset. This system allowed the device to detect movements like leaning or crouching, which could reduce user discomfort.

Oculus began shipping the Development Kit 2 (DK2) in July 2014. It was an improvement over the "Crystal Cove" prototype, featuring a higher-resolution OLED display (960×1080 per eye), a 75 Hz refresh rate, positional tracking, a detachable cable, and no need for an external control box. A teardown of the DK2 showed it used a modified Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone display, including its front panel.

By February 2015, Oculus had shipped over 100,000 DK2 units.

In September 2014, Oculus introduced an updated version called "Crescent Bay." It had a higher resolution than the DK2, was lighter, included built-in audio, and used 360-degree tracking with LEDs on the headset. Oculus also licensed software called RealSpace3D to improve audio effects. During a panel at SXSW 2015, it was revealed that the prototype used two screens instead of one.

Oculus VR announced in May 2015 that the consumer version of the Rift would be available in the first quarter of 2016. The first consumer headsets began shipping in March 2016.

In January 2016, Oculus gave free Rift kits to original Kickstarter backers who pledged $275 or more, including the headset, a game controller, and two VR games.

The consumer version of the Rift was based on the "C

Software

The Oculus Rift runtime works with Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. The installation package includes parts like the headset driver (which includes the Oculus Display driver and controller drivers), the Positional Tracking Sensor driver, Oculus Service, and the Oculus Home Application. The runtime service uses several methods to reduce delays and improve the smoothness of VR applications on less powerful hardware. These methods include direct mode, asynchronous timewarp, and asynchronous spacewarp.

When a user wears the Rift and no other content is displayed on the headset, they see Oculus Home. This is the default environment for the Rift, showing a loft setting and a floating menu. It lets users launch VR applications they own, check if friends are using the Rift, and buy virtual reality content from the Oculus Home store directly from the headset.

An update to the base software, called Core 2.0, added a more interactive default environment. This allowed users to navigate and customize it using imported 3D models. However, in 2023, Meta, formerly known as Oculus, shut down Oculus Home.

Oculus has a marketplace for applications used with the headsets. The listings are carefully selected to include only applications that run smoothly on recommended hardware. Most listings also have comfort ratings based on how likely they are to cause motion sickness or include jump scares. Developers are not required to use Oculus Home to distribute content for the Rift, as this is optional. The Store can be accessed from the VR-based Oculus Home, its desktop app, or on the Oculus website under the "Experiences" section.

Listings on the registry include:

• Age and content ratings
• Comfort rating: "comfortable," "moderate," or "intense" (assigned by Oculus)
• User ratings and reviews: users can rate applications on a 5-star scale and write reviews

Software for the Rift is created using the Oculus PC SDK, a free proprietary SDK available for Microsoft Windows (support for macOS and Linux is planned for the future). This SDK includes all the tools needed to develop virtual reality content, such as handling optical distortion and advanced rendering techniques.

The Oculus SDK is directly connected to popular game engines like Unity 5, Unreal Engine 4, and Cryengine. This allows developers already familiar with these engines to create VR content with little or no VR-specific code.

Developers do not need approval or verification from Oculus to create, distribute, or sell software for the Rift. They also do not have to pay licensing fees. However, the SDK cannot be changed or used for other purposes or hardware without permission.

Content made for the Development Kit 2 using SDK version 0.8 or newer is compatible with the Rift. However, content made for the Development Kit 1 or with older SDK versions must be recompiled using the latest SDK version to work with the Rift.

On December 21, 2015, Oculus announced the release of the finalized Rift 1.0 SDK, along with the start of shipping the final version of the Oculus Rift VR headset to developers.

At Oculus's third annual conference (Oculus Connect 3), the company introduced a new technology called "Asynchronous Spacewarp (ASW)." This technology helps the Rift compensate for dropped frames. According to Oculus, ASW lowers the minimum PC requirements needed to run the Rift without causing judder.

System requirements

In May 2015, Oculus VR shared "recommended" computer requirements for using the Oculus Rift. These included a CPU similar to an Intel Core i5-4590, at least 8GB of RAM, a graphics card like an AMD Radeon R9 290 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 970, an HDMI 1.3 output, three USB 3.0 ports, and one USB 2.0 port. Oculus VR said these requirements would stay the same for the first consumer model’s entire lifespan. The company also noted that future laptop GPUs might meet the performance needed for the Oculus Rift, but systems that switch between integrated and discrete graphics might not work properly with the device. The Oculus Rift only works with 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows 7 SP1 or later. Oculus VR explained that it initially focused on Windows to ensure a high-quality VR experience, with support for Linux and macOS planned for the future.

A hardware testing tool is available, and Oculus VR has approved and promoted specific pre-built computers from companies like Asus, Alienware, and Dell Inc. as "Oculus Ready."

On October 6, 2016, Oculus VR lowered its hardware requirements. It now suggested an Intel Core i3-6100 or AMD FX 4350 CPU, a GeForce GTX 960 or equivalent graphics card, two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, and Windows 8 or newer. The company said these changes were made possible by motion interpolation, a feature that allows software to render at 45 frames per second instead of 90 on systems that cannot reach the higher frame rate. This helps maintain a steady frame rate by generating additional frames. Oculus VR stated these updates reduced the average cost of a compatible PC to about US$500 and made some laptops capable of running the Oculus Rift.

In June 2018, Oculus VR updated its recommended operating system to Windows 10. Users with Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 could still access the basic Rift experience, but newer features and apps might require upgrading to Windows 10.

Applications

Oculus says the Rift is mainly used for gaming, and their main focus is creating gaming content.

Games that use a first-person view or fixed camera can be moved to VR with some effort. However, Oculus says the best VR experiences are those made specifically for the Rift from the start.

Several major video games now support the Rift (and can be played with the Development Kit 2), including Project CARS, Elite: Dangerous, Euro Truck Simulator 2, and Dirt Rally. Many indie games, such as AaAaAA!!! – A Reckless Disregard for Gravity and Ether One, also support the Rift. Fans and hobbyists have added Rift support to popular games like Minecraft and Flight Simulator X through modifications.

At the Rift’s release event in June 2015, Oculus announced nine games for the Rift, including EVE: Valkyrie by CCP and Edge of Nowhere by Insomniac Games. Oculus also said it was working with developers like Square Enix, Harmonix, and Ready at Dawn.

In July 2015, Oculus said it would fully fund more than 20 high-quality games made only for the Rift, including Edge of Nowhere.

In July 2017, Marvel announced at Disney’s D23 event that it would bring 12 superheroes to VR through an Oculus-exclusive game called Powers United VR.

Oculus includes a free app called Oculus Cinema, which lets users watch regular movies and videos in a virtual cinema environment. This creates the feeling of viewing content on a large cinema screen. Oculus Cinema also has a mode where multiple users can watch the same video together in a shared virtual space, seeing each other as avatars and talking while watching.

The Rift can also display new types of media, such as 360° 3D videos and "virtual reality movies," which are entirely new forms of entertainment.

Spherical videos (called 360° videos) can be viewed by moving the head. The Rift supports stereoscopic spherical videos (called 360° 3D videos). In September 2014, NextVR announced it would use a $200,000 camera rig to create 360° 3D content for the Rift, including short films and live events like sports or concerts. In July 2015, Oculus partnered with Felix & Paul Studios to produce 360° 3D videos for the Rift.

The Rift also supports a new type of entertainment called "virtual reality movies." Oculus created a team called Oculus Story Studio to make this content. The team includes former employees from major VFX companies like Pixar and ILM. Oculus Story Studio showed its first VR movie, Lost, at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive feedback.

The studio plans to release five VR short films with the Rift at launch, including Lost, Bullfighter, Henry, Dear Angelica, and Kabloom.

Oculus believes social applications will become the most popular VR experiences in the long term. Several social apps for the Rift were being developed.

In May 2015, AltspaceVR launched a public beta for DK2 users. AltspaceVR lets people join shared virtual spaces, use spatial voice chat, cast internet content on virtual screens, and interact with objects (like playing board games). It also supports extra hardware like eye and body tracking.

In 2013, Philip Rosedale, founder of Second Life, left Linden Lab to create a new virtual world for the Rift called High Fidelity. This project would connect thousands of user-hosted virtual environments into one world.

In May 2015, Linden Lab announced a new virtual world called Project Sansar, designed for VR headsets like the Rift and Gear VR. Like Second Life, Sansar would be hosted on Linden’s servers, and users could rent virtual land to build and sell items. Linden Lab aimed to release Sansar by the end of 2016.

The Rift is also used in professional fields for productivity, visualization, and advertising. Some architecture firms use the Rift for design and visualization. With the right software, architects can see their buildings in 3D and understand scale better than on a regular monitor.

In early 2015, Audi used the Rift Developer Kit 2 in dealerships to help customers customize cars and experience driving simulations.

The Norwegian Army tested the Rift Development Kit 2 to improve situational awareness for armored vehicle drivers and commanders.

The Rift is used in a virtual operator station to control a military robot called TAROS. Operators can intuitively control the robot and view 3D footage from stereovision cameras.

Oculus Medium is a painting app for the Oculus Rift.

The Oculus Rift is increasingly used in schools and universities as an educational tool. Its immersive environment helps students learn in various subjects. Medical, health science, and exercise students benefit from using the Rift for anatomy and physiology lessons. The Rift is also used in marketing, architecture, clinical education, computer science, and paramedic training.

In October 2016, the TV series Halcyon was released as a "virtual reality series." Some episodes aired on regular TV, while others were available as VR content for the Oculus Rift. The show is a crime drama set in 2048, following the world’s first "VR Crimes Unit."

Fox Sports began creating content for the Oculus Rift and other VR systems in fall 2016. Its initial VR content focused on college football coverage.

Some online casinos now use the Oculus Rift to offer a unique experience, letting users play slots and explore a virtual casino lobby through their VR headset.

ZeniMax/Facebook lawsuits

ZeniMax Media, the main company that owns Bethesda Softworks, which in turn owns Id Software, filed a lawsuit against Facebook. ZeniMax claimed that the Oculus Rift was based on intellectual property that ZeniMax owned, which was developed by John Carmack during his time working at Id Software. A jury found that Facebook and Oculus did not steal trade secrets but did break a confidentiality agreement. As a result, Facebook and some Oculus company leaders were ordered to pay a total of US$500 million. On March 10, 2017, it was announced that John Carmack filed a lawsuit against ZeniMax, seeking US$22.7 million that ZeniMax owed him from the purchase of Id Software.

Reception

The Oculus Rift received mostly positive reviews. The Verge said the Rift was a "very well-made and easy to use device," noting its hardware design made something usually seen as very technical look more natural. The headset was described as lighter and more comfortable than most similar products when properly adjusted. Its displays were bright and clear, though some found them slightly grainy. Critics noted the Rift did not include its own motion controller at launch, unlike the HTC Vive. Also, the Rift lacked support for room-scale experiences with a single camera, which made some VR games feel like an added feature rather than a major change. However, reviewers praised the Rift's launch games as the first VR titles that could compare in quality and detail to good non-VR computer games. They also mentioned that the Vive and upcoming Oculus Touch controllers showed greater potential for VR than the Rift's limited movement options at launch. Despite its focus on gaming and the cost of the headset and required computer hardware, the Rift was seen as a strong example of seated VR and a good starting point for future improvements.

In a later review, PCMag said the Oculus Touch controllers, better support for room-scale experiences, and a price drop to US$399 made the Rift more attractive than the more expensive HTC Vive. The review concluded that the Rift offers an immersive and clear VR experience that will continue to improve as new software becomes available on both the Oculus store and SteamVR.