Oculus Rift S

Released May 2019

Oculus Rift S is a PC VR headset with a single LCD display, five-camera inside-out tracking and included Touch controllers, replacing the original Rift's external sensors.

Model history · 2 models, 2016–2019

2016Oculus Rift Compare
2019Oculus Rift S

Works: Needs a PC or console
Per eye: 1280 × 1440
Refresh: 80 Hz
Weight: 561 g

What reviewers say

Road to VR and PCWorld praise easier setup and sharper visuals, while criticising audio and controller-tracking limitations. PCWorld finds the halo band exceptionally comfortable; Road to VR has to trade comfort for clarity. PCWorld reports a severe crash on its first sample, absent on its replacement, in its launch-period review.

From roadtovr.com, roadtovr.com and pcworld.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Display

Resolution per eye: 1280 × 1440
Panel: LCD
Refresh rate: 80 Hz
Display details: Single fast-switch LCD with 2560 × 1440 physical pixels overall; 1280 × 1440 per eye, at 80 Hz. RGB subpixel structure (Road to VR).
Lenses: Fixed lens spacing; no manufacturer horizontal field-of-view figure used
Lens spacing (IPD): Fixed physical lens spacing of 63.5 mm; software IPD setting. Oculus describes 61.5–65.5 mm as the best user fit range, as reported by Road to VR; this is not a mechanical adjustment range.

Tracking and input

Eye tracking: No
Hand tracking: No
Controllers in the box: Yes
Colour passthrough: No
Sensors: Oculus Insight six-degree-of-freedom inside-out tracking; five headset cameras (Road to VR). No external tracking sensors, eye tracking or controller-free hand tracking.
Controllers: Two Touch controllers with tracking rings above the hands, included in the package (Road to VR)
Passthrough: Monochrome stereoscopic Passthrough+ camera view for setting Guardian boundaries and seeing surroundings (PCWorld and Road to VR)

Performance

Works: Needs a PC or console
Connections: DisplayPort 1.2 and one USB 3.0 connection to a compatible PC; 5 m headset cable. Supplied Mini DisplayPort adaptor; HDMI-only laptops are unsupported (Tom's Hardware).

Design

Battery: None (powered by a PC or console)
Weight (headset): 561 g
Audio: Integrated headband speakers and microphone; 3.5 mm headphone socket (Road to VR)
Strap: Halo headband with rear adjustment dial, top strap and sliding visor; 561 g without cable according to Tom's Hardware's exact-model specification table
In the box: Headset, two Touch controllers and Mini DisplayPort adaptor; no external sensors required

Pros and cons

Pros

Inside-out tracking without external sensors
Higher per-eye resolution than the original Rift
Included Touch controllers and monochrome Passthrough+

Cons

Fixed physical lens spacing
Needs a compatible PC with DisplayPort
LCD replaces the original Rift's OLED panels

Closest rivals

Model	Works	Per eye	Refresh	Weight	Released
ValveIndex	Needs a PC or console	1440 × 1600	144 Hz	809 g	Jun 2019
HTCVIVE Pro	Needs a PC or console	1440 × 1600	90 Hz	769 g	Apr 2018
HTCVIVE	Needs a PC or console	1080 × 1200	90 Hz	555 g	Apr 2016

Previous model: Oculus Rift.

Sources

Photo: Meta/Oculus official five-years-of-VR publication (2021), native PDF image Im1.png; original product transparency retained.

Oculus Quest at left and Rift S at right in the complete shared launch photograph: Meta/Oculus official press photograph; complete supplied composition, background and maker marks retained.
Man using Oculus Rift S and supplied Touch controllers beside a television: Meta/Oculus official press photograph; complete supplied composition, background and maker marks retained.

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