Today at GDC, Oculus revealed the Rift S, their replacement to the original Rift released back in 2016. According to the company, this new headset features Oculus Insight (a five-camera, inside-out tracking system, a resolution increase and move to OLED to LCD displays, and new ergonomics with “halo” style head straps. The new headset will be priced at $399 and launches this spring.

While this is Oculus’ latest PC virtual reality (VR) headset, there’s a reason why it’s called a “replacement” and not a “successor.” According to Road to VR, Oculus made it evident that this headset isn’t the Rift 2 – the “S” in its name is meant to signify the (for the most part) improvements. Also, this headset will replace the original Rift entirely, as the company said that headset is in the process of being phased out.

Here is the breakdown of the Oculus Rift S (as per Road to VR’s report):

  • Pricing: $399
  • Availability: Spring 2019
  • Weight: A little more than Rift
  • Display:
    • Resolution: 1,280 × 1,440 per eye (2,560 × 1,440 total)
    • Type: Single fast-switch LCD
    • Refresh Rate: 80Hz
    • Field of View: ‘Slightly larger than Rift’
    • IPD Adjustment: Software only
  • Tracking:
    • Type: ‘Insight’ inside out – five cameras
    • Capabilities: Supports 6 degrees of freedom head and controller tracking
    • Recommended Environments: It should work in almost any lit indoor environment.
    • Recommended Playspace: Oculus Rift S works with your environment, so you can play standing or sitting, in spaces big or small.
  • Tether:
    • Length: 5 meter
    • Connections: DisplayPort 1.2 & USB
  • Passthrough:
    • Passthrough+: Low latency stereo-correct passthrough video
    • Guardian: Boundaries traced from inside headset using passthrough
  • Recommended PC Specs: Same as Rift except need DisplayPort 1.2 or later and just one USB 3.0 port instead of three

Though there are a myriad of minor improvements, the most curious change from Rift to Rift S was the display. Originally, the Rift had an OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate – now, the Rift S uses an LED display with an 80Hz refresh rate. Oculus said that one reason for moving to a slower refresh rate was to avoid needing to increase their recommended VR specifications so that developers can continue to target one specification as the install base grows. As for the display change, moving to LCD over OLED is improved fill-factor, meaning less screen door effect (the unlit space between pixels), and therefore increased immersion.

However, the biggest improvement comes from the use of inside-out tracking through Insight. This implementation means that the Rift S will likely be both easier to set up and support room-scale tracking out of box. This news means no more trackers, and the possibility for compatibility with other room-scale headsets – great news given OpenXR’s recent ratification.

Though this headset is still lacking in some areas (namely a 120Hz display for a much smoother experience), the Rift S is definitely laying a solid foundation for the Rift 2. With the release of the Quest also happening in Spring 2019, the Oculus family of products is teeing up for the next generation of VR.