If you roll the clocks back to July, word got out that the guys behind the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset were very interested in next generation smartphones over consoles, largely due to how quickly portable electronics are advancing compared to the console cycle which settles in with nearly a decade between hardware refreshes. It makes sense, as new iPhones are released yearly while the Xbox 360 which launched back in 2005 is only just now being replaced.
During his keynote at the GamesBeat 2013 conference, Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe revealed that the iOS Android version of the Oculus Rift is going to launch along side, or as closely as possible, to the PC version. This is huge as the Oculus Rift is, in a totally non-hyperbolic sense, going to change everything. It’s hard to imagine if you haven’t tried one, but the Oculus Rift provides a virtual reality experience that is so immersive it’s scary.
If you’re interested in checking one out before the consumer version launches (Which still has a nebulous future release date.) check out this Google map. It’s filled with people who have dev units willing to give people a test drive. Alternatively, check out this video from Tested which is the best demonstration I’ve seen aside from trying it yourself… Or watch the official video below:
The future is going to be awesome.
UPDATE: Well, VentureBeat has what seems to be the mixup of the century in that the mobile version of the Oculus Rift is actually for Android and not iOS. Oops! *sigh*
[via Venture Beat]
