It’s no secret that the Oculus Rift S has been sold out practically everywhere for some time now, and Facebook has just confirmed that the stock of the headset won’t be replenished going forward.
Oculus Rift S launched in March 2019 as a successor to the original Oculus Rift CV1 model. The headset was, manufactured by Lenovo, featuring s a single fast-switch LCD panel with a resolution of 2560×1440 and an 80 Hz refresh rate.
The end of the Oculus Rift S also marks the end of Facebook’s PC-only line of VR headsets because the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset, which launched in 2020 for $299, works standalone or with a PC via Oculus Link.
The reason why Facebook released two headsets with overlapping specifications so close to each other is simple: the company wanted to A/B test which approach (tethered or standalone) would have a greater mainstream success. We now know that standalone VR headsets have turned out to be a huge success, so Facebook’s decision to focus completely on them isn’t really all that surprising.
“Rift S is still available for sale currently in some channels around the world, but as we announced last year, we plan to stop selling Rift S in 2021,” said a Facebook representative in an email addressed to UploadVR. “Generally speaking, as channels sell out of stock, they won’t be replenished moving forward.”
Facebook firmly believes that standalone VR headsets like the Oculus Quest 2 are the future, which is why 20 percent of its employees now work on VR- and AR-related technologies and products. The company’s next headset is expected to include face-tracking technology, which would increase its mainstream potential, especially considering the increased interest in virtual reality meetings.
