Hardware & Technical The Oculus Rift is available for pre-order. What do you think of the price ?

[jabokai]

I think between 150 and 180 euros is the correct price. The value of this object is not higher. I wonder in what country it is produced ?

150 Euros? Are you crazy? While that would be nice, as a consumer, it's totally unrealistic!

 

[Patrick_68000]

Yes, I think that a thing, so ugly and horrible can not have a value of more than 150-200 euros maximum

 

[jabokai]

Yes, I think that a thing, too ugly and horrible can not have a value of more than 150-200 euros maximum

Fair enough. I have similar views on some things - for example I would not use an apple product if it was free, nor even if you paid me, so I can understand that people have principled objections to some things. But arguing that it is worth 150 Euro to you is not the same as a sensible discussion on it's intrinsic value.

 

[Patrick_68000]

Fair enough. I have similar views on some things - for example I would not use an apple product if it was free, nor even if you paid me, so I can understand that people have principled objections to some things. But arguing that it is worth 150 Euro to you is not the same as a sensible discussion on it's intrinsic value.

It is the first consumer version which interests especially the developers and the passionate gamers. You will see, if Facebook wants to sell its helmet, he will be obliged to lower the price considerably in the future

 

[jabokai]

It is the first consumer version which interests especially the developers and the passionate gamers. You will see, if Facebook wants to sell its helmet, he will be obliged to lower the price considerably in the future

In the future, yes of course. Right now though, I think it is easily worth what they're charging.

 

[Surfinjo]

More concerned about whether my GTX 780 can handle it and if my rig upgrade costs will be too high And how I can ever reach a decision between Rift and Vive!

You really should run this tool from the awfully nice people who will bring you the Oculus Rift. http://ocul.us/compat-tool

Remember to uninstall it afterwards.

Yes, I think that a thing, so ugly and horrible can not have a value of more than 150-200 euros maximum

At the terrible risk of sounding utterly clichéd Beauty is in the Eye of the beholder.

 

[Surfinjo]

Still will be useless as long as you cant see your hands, but I just bought a GTX970 vidcard from my upgrade-happy nephew for £70

Now stop mentioning the obvious flaws and ruining our dreams!!

 

[Surfinjo]

The NYT take:

Facebook’s Oculus is finally offering clarity on how much of a premium a virtual reality experience will cost.

After months of teasing the introduction of its Oculus Rift virtual reality goggles, the company said on Wednesday that it had opened orders for the system, which includes a headset and controller devices, with a price of $599. That’s without a computer included — you’ll need a fast one that will probably cost around $1,000. The device begins shipping in March.

Oculus also said that in February, it would open orders for a bundle, which includes the Rift headgear system and a computer that is certified to work with Oculus, for $1,500.

“People have been dreaming about immersive high-end VR for decades, and we’re thrilled to share Rift with you this March,” the company said in a blog post, announced during International CES, the consumer electronics show now taking place in Las Vegas.

While $599 and $1,500 aren’t cheap, Brendan Iribe, the chief executive of Oculus, said in an interview on the CES show floor that he felt there was still a broad market for the Rift at that price. “It’s a premium experience at a premium price, he said. “It’s not that
much more than iPads and basically pretty close to a laptop.”

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/..._th_20160107&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=35132326

As always, the reader's comments are the most interesting. If you can log in do so.

 

[jabokai]

Engadget's editorial comment, which I fully agree with -

The Oculus Rift made you forget what the first iPhone cost
Chill out: First-gen technology is always this expensive.

Yesterday, Oculus VR finally announced the price of its first consumer virtual reality headset: $599, plus shipping. Fans reacted quickly, shocked that the price was twice as much as the original developer kit and furious that the company was charging so much. During Palmer Luckey's evening AMA on Reddit, fans were petitioning the company to remove the Rift's audio tech and packaged Xbox One controller to bring the price down. That's denial, anger and bargaining, guys. Let's skip the fourth stage of grief and jump to the end: acceptance. The Oculus Rift's launch price is completely normal.

I know you're upset, but think about it for a minute: New technology is always expensive, often prohibitively so. Remember how much the original iPhone cost, back in 2007? It was priced at $600 with a two-year contract. The first-generation Kindle: a shocking $400, and it wasn't even a Paperwhite. Three years ago, a 55-inch 4K TV would have set you back $5,000 -- now better sets can be had for a little over a grand. That's the cycle: New technology enters the market at a premium price that drops with each subsequent generation. Today the lowest-end Kindle costs less than $80. Okay, a new iPhone will still cost you over $600, but at least you don't need to sign a contract anymore.

This logic can be hard to swallow in the face of Oculus VR's own release history. The original, Kickstarter-funded Rift development kit sold for a mere $300, and its higher-resolution follow-up only cost developers $350. Doesn't that break the model? Not really, so long as you have the proper context.

There's a vast difference between what was inside of those development units and what Oculus put into the final consumer Rift. This is going to get a little technical, but hear me out: The first two Rifts were built mostly from off-the-shelf components and surplus smartphone screens. "These are devkits," Oculus founder Palmer Luckey told me in 2014, after launching the Rift's second developer unit. "Do not buy! Do not buy!" He calmed himself, assuring me that the DK2 was good but it wasn't good enough for consumers. "People don't have experience with this technology," he said. "When it arrives, it has to be good." Oculus VR had been selling developer kits at a loss, and were getting worried that the prototype's flaws would ward off cautious consumers. One of the reasons the company sold to Facebook was to make sure it had the resources to build a better Rift.

What we have today is wildly different as a result. The consumer Rift has integrated, high-end headphones, more precise tracking technology, advanced optics and, most importantly, two custom, high-density OLED displays designed specifically for VR hardware. Of course the old developer kits are inexpensive by comparison; they were built using spare parts that were already affordable due to the proliferation of smartphones. The Rift had to invent its own components. Creating new technology and components for a introductory product like the Rift is absurdly expensive. On Twitter, Palmer himself summed things up pretty succinctly: When it comes to the consumer version of the Rift, "the cost of development hardware that was sold at a loss using many off-the-shelf components is not a good comparison."

It isn't that I'm not also disappointed with the price -- of course I want a more affordable Rift! -- it's that I'm not surprised, and you shouldn't be either. Like it or not, the Oculus Rift's price makes sense. It makes sense in the context of the hardware being sold, it makes sense when compared to other first-generation product launches and it makes sense as a product aimed specifically at VR early-adopters. Did Oculus fail to set proper expectations? Yes, absolutely -- even Palmer Luckey admitted as much during his Reddit AMA. Is it expensive? Yes. It's supposed to be. Don't worry about it. The next Rift will be cheaper, and the one after that cheaper still. It's going to be okay.

http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/07/the-oculus-rift-made-you-forget-what-the-first-iphone-cost/

 

[Avago Earo]

"The Oculus Rift made you forget what the first iPhone cost
Chill out: First-gen technology is always this expensive."

Yeah, Hydrogen bombs used to be quite pricey

 

[natte hond]

I suspect the price will remain high for a long time.
that is for as long as no other serious competitors are on the market.
okay it might drop a hundred after the first year but no more.

what surprises me is the slow controlled release , very much as the way they were selling the DK1 and two.
or is there already a bigger public release planed ?
its very low profile .
why is that I wonder.

 

[Frank]

What I Like to Call a Found Poem

The NYT take:

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2016/01/06/technology/06bits-oculus/06bits-oculus-blog480.jpg



http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/..._th_20160107&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=35132326

As always, the reader's comments are the most interesting. If you can log in do so.

Thanks for pointing out the comments section to me. It was hilarious. I particularly like the comment "My virtual reality headset is free, it's called my brain." I can imagine Dave Gorman saying that line with a quartet playing in the background

 

[xyphic]

Price won't be driven by competition, it'll be driven (at least initially) by manufacturing cost. Until these devices (or their components) are in mainstream and high-volume production their price will remain high simply because that's what it costs to build them. Companies might be able to subsidise them but that requires other compromises such as locked down infrastructure, similar to how console manufacturers initially sell their hardware at a loss but in the knowledge that they're getting licensing fees for the software / games that run on them.

What *will* be driven by competition is innovation and that's what's exciting about there being several major players in the game. We're already seeing differentiation between Oculus Rift and Vive, and neither have been released yet.

 

[natte hond]

btw if you compare it to a new 4k TV its about half the price.
and far more comfortable on your face.

 

[jabokai]

btw if you compare it to a new 4k TV its about half the price.
and far more comfortable on your face.

IMHO 4k is a waste of money if you watch your TV from more than 8 feet away or so - it's great for monitors, for TVs a bit of a waste.

Also, compared to VR, it's still just a boring old TV.

 

[Porina]

I got a new 4k TV last year with change from £200. To be fair, you get what you pay for and it had serious limitations. However, ED did look fantastic on it when I had a computer hooked up. Just don't ask about input lag. Now I'm using an ultra-wide monitor. It is differently fantastic than the 4k TV, and the extra wideness does add to the experience. I'd guess I'd put myself as VR curious. I'm sure the "look around" experience is great, but I'm concerned about the field of view. So on that note, I don't mind waiting to be a 2nd wave buyer, if things work out. The price is for sure a bit too much to gamble on for me.

 

[natte hond]

IMHO 4k is a waste of money if you watch your TV from more than 8 feet away or so - it's great for monitors, for TVs a bit of a waste.

Also, compared to VR, it's still just a boring old TV.

yeah , agreed.
I'm already sitting in front of a full led tv so so I know how that is.
just the question what I think of the price.
my first reaction was oeps that's steep.
but the more I think about it the lower it gets.
I also made a comparison in highres oled screens the highest resolution I could find were 150 dollars.
and those didn't meet the requirements by far.
that means if I could get the right parts I couldn't make it for a price lower than its released.

 

[jabokai]

yeah , agreed.
I'm already sitting in front of a full led tv so so I know how that is.
just the question what I think of the price.
my first reaction was oeps that's steep.
but the more I think about it the lower it gets.
I also made a comparison in highres oled screens the highest resolution I could find were 150 dollars.
and those didn't meet the requirements by far.
that means if I could get the right parts I couldn't make it for a price lower than its released.

Indeed. If you read the Engadget write up I posted above then it puts it in perspective better than I can. Many people are not even realising a fundamental basic - that the DK1 and DK2 were sold below cost using off the shelf parts, including the single, mass produced screen. CV1 has two custom built for VR screens! Even that should have people thinking "wait a sec, that's not going to be cheap", and that's before you factor in anything else. DK1 and DK2 kind of set us up all wrong for what to expect, in a way.

 

[natte hond]

Indeed. If you read the Engadget write up I posted above then it puts it in perspective better than I can. Many people are not even realising a fundamental basic - that the DK1 and DK2 were sold below cost using off the shelf parts, including the single, mass produced screen. CV1 has two custom built for VR screens! Even that should have people thinking "wait a sec, that's not going to be cheap", and that's before you factor in anything else. DK1 and DK2 kind of set us up all wrong for what to expect, in a way.

its unfortunate that this guy lucky mislead his costumers a bit by saying they should think of the above 350 region.
not a clever move.

 

[jabokai]

its unfortunate that this guy lucky mislead his costumers a bit by saying they should think of the above 350 region.
not a clever move.

Yeah, he's tried to explain and apologise. I see him as pretty genuine, comparatively, so will give the benefit of the doubt on this occasion.

"Earlier last year, we started officially messaging that the Rift [with a] recommended-spec PC would together cost roughly $1,500. Many outlets picked the story up as 'Rift will cost $1500!'

"I made the infamous 'roughly in that $350 ballpark, but it will cost more than that' quote. As an explanation, not an excuse: during that time, many outlets were repeating the 'Rift is $1500!' line, and I was frustrated by how many people thought that was the price of the headset itself. My answer was ill-prepared, and mentally, I was contrasting $349 with $1500, not our internal estimate that hovered close to $599 - that is why I said it was in roughly the same ballpark.

"Later on, I tried to get across that the Rift would cost more than many expected, in the past two weeks particularly. There are a lot of reasons we did not do a better job of preparing people who already have high-end GPUs – legal, financial, competitive, and otherwise – but to be perfectly honest, our biggest failing was assuming we had been clear enough about setting expectations.

"Another problem is that people looked at the much less advanced technology in DK2 [Developer Kit 2] for $350 and assumed the consumer Rift would cost a similar amount, an assumption that myself (and Oculus) did not do a good job of fixing. I apologise."

"To be perfectly clear, we don't make money on the Rift"