Oculus gives a ‘fond farewell’ to the Oculus Go headset

It has been over two years since the Oculus Go first launched, aiming to deliver a media-focused, mass-market VR headset. Since then, Oculus has put more time into the Quest, a more successful but more expensive standalone VR gaming headset. As Oculus looks towards the future of its platform, it has apparently become time to say goodbye to the Oculus Go. 

Today in an ‘update on the evolution of the Oculus platform‘, it was announced that sales of the Oculus Go would be ending and no more units will be manufactured. For developers, applications for new Oculus Go apps will no longer be accepted as of the 4th of December 2020. This also means that there will be no further updates to the Go apps after this date. However, if you own an Oculus Go, you will still be able to use it after this date and download any apps that have already been accepted and placed on the store.

“Since we launched Oculus Go two years ago, VR technology has improved at an incredible pace”, the blog post reads. “A year later, Oculus Quest redefined the category, with full head and hand movement powered by our Insight tracking system.”

“As we look to the future, we’re grateful to the Oculus Go community for pushing the VR revolution forward. Unique amongst a landscape of tethered and drop-in systems, Oculus Go pioneered the all-in-one category—a new kind of VR with more freedom and flexibility. And that was a game-changer. Oculus Go opened up VR to many more people, and it helped redefine immersive entertainment. From live concerts and sporting events to couch co-op gameplay, corporate training, and beyond, Oculus Go made new experiences possible for people around the world, and it laid the groundwork for Oculus Quest.”

So starting this year, Oculus will be doubling down on Quest as the future of standalone, untethered VR, leaving the Go behind.

KitGuru Says: The GearVR and Oculus Go occupy an interesting place in Oculus's early years, but it seems clear at this point that Quest should be the new focal point. What this means for the future of Rift and PC VR headsets still remains to be seen. 

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