Oculus CEO says VR roots will always be in gaming

Oculus CEO, Brendan Iribe has said that while the Oculus Rift may have other uses and purposes, its roots will always be in gaming. Several members of the Oculus team discussed a lot of potential uses for virtual reality at an event last week, at which the company also announced its new Crescent Bay prototype.

Speaking with Games Industry International, Iribe said: “For a very long time the heart and soul of what drives virtual reality is going to be a video game 3D engine. This is not a film, this is a 3D game engine inside. So even when it's a medical simulation experience or it's architecture or whatever it is, it is a 3D game engine running inside. That's awesome, that is rooted in the game market.”

During last week's event, John Carmack, Palmer Luckey and Michael Abrash all got on stage to discuss future challenges and possibilities with virtual reality. One emphasis was the important of social interaction and getting a multi-user experience.

The new Oculus Crescent Bay prototype has several improvements, including a new display, which is rumored to have a 1440p resolution and 90Hz refresh rate, as well as improved positional tracking and full 360 degree head tracking.

The leap between the DK2 and the new prototype is said to be as significant as the jump between the DK1 and DK2. The final consumer release is rumored to be coming next year, although an exact release date has yet to be finalized.

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KitGuru Says: It was primarily gamers that backed the Oculus Rift concept in the first place so when Facebook bought the company, it rose concerns about the direction Oculus was taking. However, its safe to say that the company still has an invested interest in games. What do you guys think of the Oculus Rift? Are you excited about virtual reality? 

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