Oculus Touch Release Date: Facebook Inc’s Next Project Could Be Huge
Oculus Touch VR: Hottest Stuff During the Holiday Season
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is leading the virtual reality (VR) industry through “Oculus,” which is preparing to launch its latest product, the Oculus “Touch” VR motion controllers.
The social network giant bought the virtual reality technology company for $2.0 billion in 2014 as part of its strategy to ensure its long-term growth. Many believe that Oculus could help boost Facebook stock since virtual reality is the latest trend in the technology industry.
Oculus Touch Release Date
In December last year, the Oculus team announced that they made significant progress in the ergonomics of the Oculus Touch VR hardware. They also implemented changes to improve its hand pose recognition and to make it more comfortable, reliable and natural. The team said it needs more time before launching the hardware.
The company decided to postpone the Oculus Touch release date to the second half of 2016 and has promised to consumers that hardware would be worth the wait. (Source: “Update on Oculus Touch Ship Date,” Oculus, December 31, 2015.)
The Oculus Touch is the companion motion controller for the “Oculus Rift,” which was released on March 28, 2016.
Some people in the technology industry are speculating that the Oculus Touch VR motion controllers would be available in the market during the holiday shopping season, probably in November or December.
The speculations were based on the fact that Facebook’s Oculus team are scheduled to provide more details about the hardware during the Oculus “Connect 3” event on October 5–7 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in California.
There is also a big possibility that the company would start accepting pre-orders for the Oculus Touch during the October event. Take note that it opened the pre-orders for the Oculus Rift during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 in January.
Recent reports indicated that a Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE: BBY) store at the South Bridge Shopping Center in Arden, North Carolina has a pair of Oculus Touch mockups on display with a sign reading, “Available Winter 2016.”
Oculus Touch Price
The Oculus Touch price is still unknown to date. The price of the motion controller is expected to be announced during the Oculus Connect 3 event. VR enthusiasts are speculating that it would probably cost between $100.00 and $150.00, which would be either lower or higher than the price of the HTC “Vive” controller, which costs $129.99.
Oculus Touch Reviews
The release date and price for the Oculus Touch is still uncertain, but one thing is sure: the motion controllers support more than 30 virtual reality games. The company has already promised that 20 games are “brand new” and specifically created for the hardware, and that hundreds more are in development. (Source: “Over 30 Full Games Launching with Oculus Touch this Year,” Oculus VR, June 13, 2016.)
The company has released a fun and exciting preview of some of the Oculus Touch games. Just watching the preview, I could tell that the controllers offer precise hand tracking.
The ergonomics of the Oculus Touch make it a winner because it fits perfectly in the hands of the players. The buttons and joysticks of the controllers are placed where the fingers can control them easily and naturally. I am convinced that the controller offers a new level of virtual reality experience that is truly appealing, engaging, and immersive. Many gamers are already excited and patiently waiting for its arrival.
Virtual reality is the next big thing; there is no doubt about it. The availability of the Oculus Touch as a companion controller for Oculus Rift would not only provide an additional revenue stream, but it would also attract more players to move into virtual reality games.
A previous survey on the future of retail showed that 49% of consumers are interested in buying Oculus Rift and 32% are considering other VR devices. (Source:“32% of Consumers Interested in Purchasing Virtual Reality Headset, Study Finds,” Crave, March 5, 2015) With this in mind, we fully expect the Oculus Touch reviews to be quite favorable.
Investors should expect Facebook stock to continue to trade higher, as the social network giant is relentless in pursuing opportunities that offer significant growth.
