Next-gen Oculus Rift is coming and “twice as good” as the current version
Oculus VR investor says the company is testing a far more realistic headset in a “special room”
You’re probably excited about the prospect of getting your hands on the Oculus Rift Development Kit 2, the current latest edition of the VR headset – but according to one Oculus investor, it’s just the tip of the iceberg,
At Facebook’s F8 conference this week, Chris Dixon, a partner at Silicon Valley venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz (an investor in Oculus VR), claimed that the company is currently testing something incredible inside its Los Angeles HQ.
READ MORE: Face-on review: Oculus Rift Crystal Cove, a bona fide VR revolution
The mythical Valve Room
Dixon told Business Insider: “Crystal Cove is 50 percent of what they are running in LA. You go into a room. It’s a special room. Fancier headset. … In user testing it gets to a level of realism where almost all people feel that it’s realistic.”
The “Valve Room”, as it’s known, is rumoured to offer a virtual reality experience that is photorealistic – so real that even users prone to motion sickness don’t feel uncomfortable. Dixon believes that seeing this version of Oculus Rift in action inspired Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to acquire Oculus VR.
2015 launch looking likely
And as for the first consumer edition of Rift? It’s now looking likely to launch in 2015 – but the company hasn’t even confirmed that yet, a spokesperson saying only that Oculus VR would be “disappointed” if the retail version wasn’t available before 2016.
In the meantime, you have the opportunity to buy the pre-release Development Kit 2 version for US$350 (£210).
[Via Business Insider]
READ MORE: Oculus Rift preview
Sam Kieldsen
Contributor 
