Oculus Rift virtual reality headset full review

Rating: 7.0.

After many years of talking, speculating and trialing pre-release hardware, we finally have our hands on the first consumer grade virtual reality headset in the world: the Oculus Rift CV1. Packing a pair of 1,080 x 1,200 pixel OLED displays behind a pair of custom-made fresnel lenses, Oculus hopes to take home the VR crown by opting for a traditional gaming focus over that of its big rival, HTC.

The headset itself is ergonomic and lightweight, with a unique strap system and built in headphones. It's tracked by a standalone USB powered infrared camera and is bundled with a wireless Xbox One control and a small remote. 

Much has been made in the past few weeks about whether the Rift or the HTC Vive are leading the VR charge – which is the better solution? While we will consider that as part of this review, until we have completed a full review of both systems, we won't be making any major direct comparisons.

That will come later. What we will attempt to do in this review, is address whether the package that Oculus offers consumers is worth the £500+ cost. Is the hardware good, is the content there and is it worth it?

Features and specifications

• Display: 2,160 x 1,200 across two OLED panels.
• Refresh rate: 90Hz.
• Field of view: 110 degrees.
• Tracking: Infrared camera tracks five x 11 feet.
• Weight: 470g.
• Headphones: Built-in.
• Controller: Xbox One gamepad, wireless remote.

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