Oculus Rift: The Super Simple Explanation Of What Is Oculus Rift [FAQs]

Oculus Rift has been mentioned a lot in the news recently, but that doesn’t mean that anybody has really tried to explain what exactly it is. Consider this the most simple, most basic Oculus Rift article ever written.

Let us answer the Oculus Rift questions you have and explain to you how it will change your life.

So what is Oculus Rift?

Simply put, Oculus Rift is a virtual reality system. Yes, we know that you have been hearing about virtual reality for two decades now, so what is it about Oculus Rift that sets it apart from other VR systems? This one is cooler. Why? Because Facebook just bought it for $2 billion and is planning to do some awesome things.

Really? What is Facebook planning?

Great question. You’ve got to remember that Facebook just paid $15 billion for WhatsApp, so getting Oculus Rift for (ahem) a mere $2 billion was a steal. Facebook is hoping that Oculus Rift changes how people are able to interact with one another online — like a smartphone or mobile app on steroids.

How will Oculus Rift change online interaction?

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been a little vague about what Oculus Rift will do for Facebook, but he did throw in this handy quote to whet our appetites:

“Oculus has the potential to be the most social platform ever. Imagine not just sharing moments with your friends online but entire experiences.”

When will we be able to start using Oculus Rift?

Nobody really knows the answer to this question. Up until a few weeks ago Oculus Rift was still a Kickstarter project. It’s gone a long way in a short period of time.

What else has Zuckerberg said about Oculus Rift plans?

Zuckerber did write a pretty lengthy Facebook post on his account after the social media giant purchased Oculus Rift. Here are a few highlights from what he said about Oculus Rift:

“After games, we’re going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face — just by putting on goggles in your home.”

Wow, that actually does sound pretty cool. Tell us more about Oculus Rift, Mark:

“Virtual reality was once the dream of science fiction. But the internet was also once a dream, and so were computers and smartphones. The future is coming and we have a chance to build it together. I can’t wait to start working with the whole team at Oculus to bring this future to the world, and to unlock new worlds for all of us.”

Maybe this sounds a little dystopian to you, but you’ve got to agree that it will be interesting to see what Facebook will do with Oculus Rift.

Image via Bing