https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-13/facebook-said-to-plan-200-wireless-oculus-vr-headset-for-2018

Facebook Inc. is taking another stab at turning its Oculus Rift virtual reality headset into a mass-market phenomenon. Later this year, the company plans to unveil a cheaper, wireless device that the company is betting will popularize VR the way Apple did the smartphone.

Currently VR hardware comes in two flavors: cheap headsets that turn smartphones into virtual reality players (like Samsung’s $130 Gear VR) and high-end gaming rigs (like Facebook’s $400 Oculus Rift) that hook up to $1,000-plus desktop computers. Facebook’s new headset is designed to bridge the gap -- a device that will sell for as little as $200 and need not be tethered to a PC or phone, according to people familiar with its development. It will ship next year and represent an entirely new category.

It sounds like this will be basically what the Gameboy was to the SNES. The benefit here is that you can take VR anywhere without the hassle of fiddling with your phone. The downside is that, currently, there's no plans for it to have positional tracking - meaning you'll be looking at the GearVR library of apps rather than the PC Rift's more robust offering.

This was teased about the positional tracking, however:

A future version of the product will have that technology, according to a person familiar with the plans.

Summer of Rift is all about celebrating the VR community and encouraging new people to get in the game. Today, we’re excited to announce that Rift + Touch are now available at $399 for a limited time.

With its comfortable ergonomic design, high-quality lenses with a wide field of view, high-resolution OLED displays, and six degrees of freedom that let you move around and explore, Rift is VR at its finest. Combine that with Touch controllers, and you can see your own hands in virtual reality—grab and throw objects, cast spells, or paint and sculpt like the real thing. Plus, with a suite of experiences that promise action, adventure, mystery, and excitement, you’ll be transported to places you’ve never imagined.

https://www.oculus.com/blog/rift-touch-399-for-a-limited-time-summer-of-rifts-best-deal-yet/

The multiplayer zero-g arena style Ender's Game meets Rocket League game for the Oculus Rift started it's open beta weekend today. I've already played a few matches and I must say, it's incredible. The movement feels great and the game itself is a lot of fun. Even the social lobby is a fun place to float around, customize, and practice! The only thing missing in the beta is the ability to group up with friends, but I assume that'll be ready to go at launch! Definitely check it out this weekend while you have the chance! The game releases FOR FREE next month!

Who's up for forming Echo Arena teams? There's going to be a tournament shortly after launch. I believe the the teams are 5 man. I usually work from 5-10 p.m. EST but am available other times to play. Sign up to show your interest!

1. Tbone
2. Lithium
3. Maglorius

It looks like the game uses uPlay for multiplayer, so if you wanna get on the action, post your uPlay name!

Mine is TheTbone

There are two "quests" in Rec Room that require 4 player co-op to beat. I'm looking to get a group of four together to tackle them on occasion! Let me know if you're interested in finding a time!

In an ongoing effort to help VR developers test their content and give feedback, we encourage everyone to sign up for the Furious Angels' alpha group for Pluto, a new VR application in development that works similarly to Discord or Teamspeak, but with virtual avatars appearing regardless of the VR application you are in. Here is the FA alpha group sign-up link: http://www.plutovr.com/alpha?r=EBALC

Here is a rundown of the application in development if you are interested in the details! https://uploadvr.com/pluto-social-vr/

I hope to see a lot of you check it out with us!

"March 28th marked the one-year anniversary of shipping Rift! To celebrate, you can grab more than 30 titles that pioneered the launch of PC VR for up to 80% off—now through April 4 on the Oculus Store!"