Friday, 27 December 2019

Oculus Quest, Oculus Link, And Valve Index Are Bringing VR Into The Mainstream

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Oculus Quest continues to sell out, backorders pushed to mid-February.

VR technology has absolutely dominated the 2019 holiday season as numerous major retailers—both physical and online—have been selling out of 64GB and 128GB Oculus Quest headsets. 

At the time of this writing, Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, Gamestop, MicroCenter, NewEgg, and Walmart are fresh out of both models. While there is the option of picking one up through one of Amazon’s third-party sellers, expect to pay a considerably higher price than the listed MSRP; the 64GB Quest, normally $399, is currently going for $650, with the 128GB—usually $499—now commanding a jaw-dropping $750.

Image Credit: Oculus

If you were thinking of bypassing the holiday rush and ordering straight for Oculus.com, Oculus is now reporting that backorders have been pushed to mid-February. According to the company, 128GB Oculus Quest headsets are now expected to begin shipping on February 18th, followed by the 64GB model on February 20th. It also appears as though the companies PC VR alternative, the Oculus Rift S, is also back-ordered to early January.

This rapid increase demand, no doubt kickstarted by the holiday season, received an additional boost thanks to the release of the Oculus Link, new software that allows Oculus Quest owners to plug their headsets into a VR-ready PC to access both Rift/Rift S and SteamVR games and experiences, essentially turning the standalone device into a PC VR headset. While the software works with multiple USB 3.0 cables, Oculus this month released its own 15-foot $80 cable that they promise will provide the ideal PC VR streaming experience on Quest. This cable has also been selling out since launch, with new orders expected to arrive near the tail-end of January. 

Image Credit: Valve Corp.

Of course, it’s not just Oculus that’s feeling the love this holiday season; the Valve Index headset has also been back-ordered to February. Despite its $1,000 price tag and Steam Store exclusivity, Valve’s advanced PC VR headsets have risen in popularity over the past few weeks, due in large part to the reveal of Half-Life: Alyx, a new Half-Life VR game that promises to usher in a new era in VR gaming.

With VR sales through the roof and the new year just around the corner, it appears as though VR technology is finally finding its footing among mainstream audiences. The convenience of the Oculus Quest combined with the PC VR capabilities offered by the Oculus Link makes this headset the perfect option for both new and seasoned users looking for an all-in-one solution. Meanwhile, the Valve Index—with its finger-tracking ‘Knuckles’ controllers, offers a top-of-the-line immersive experience unlike anything else on the market. Through in the first Half-Life game in 13 years as an official exclusive, and you have a guaranteed hit on your hands.

No doubt 2020 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years for VR so far.

Feature Image Credit: Oculus

The post Oculus Quest, Oculus Link, And Valve Index Are Bringing VR Into The Mainstream appeared first on VRScout.



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