Report: Oculus eyeing inside-out tracking for potential Rift hardware refresh

Following earlier reports that Oculus had cancelled a Rift 2 VR headset, sources speaking to TechCrunch now say that the company is looking to create a hardware refresh for the original Oculus Rift.

While the Rift 2 was slated to be a next-generation take on Oculus’ PC-tethered Rift headset, this rumored refresh focuses on making minor improvements to the existing Rift generation rather than pushing the envelope with a more powerful headset. 

Those sources say that the updated headset, which TechCrunch notes might debut as the Rift S, would make minor upgrades to the Rift’s display resolution and would adopt the inside-out positional tracking technology set to debut with the launch of the standalone Oculus Quest this coming spring. Currently, the Oculus Rift relies on external sensors to track a wearer’s location in a 3-dimensional space. The tech powering the Oculus Quest, however, uses only sensors mounted on the headset itself to track movement and map out obstacles.

When contacted by TechCrunch, an Oculus representative said the company doesn’t comment on rumors but that “as we shared last week, PC VR remains a part of our strategy and is a category we will continue to invest in. In addition to hardware, we have a robust software roadmap and are funding content well into 2020.”