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Facebook's Oculus Debuts $199 Wireless Headset In Push To Make VR Mainstream

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Facebook  CEO Mark Zuckerberg set a goal to bring virtual reality to 1 billion people. A new Oculus Rift headset, unveiled by Zuckerberg on Wednesday, could be key to making the executive's vision a reality.

Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that Facebook has built its first all-in-one, wireless VR headset, the $199 "Oculus Go," which the company plans to start shipping early next year. The device sits in the "sweet spot" between affordability and quality, according to Zuckerberg, and falls between the price points of Facebook's two earlier devices: the Samsung Gear VR ($129) -- a mobile headset made in partnership with Oculus, which uses a snapped-in smartphone as a screen -- and the Oculus Rift ($399), a PC-powered device that is higher quality but keeps users tethered to their computers.

"It’s an all new standalone headset that doesn't require you to snap in a phone or attach a cable," Zuckerberg said on stage at Oculus's annual "Connect" developer conference in San Jose, Calif. on Wednesday. "Oculus Go is the most accessible VR experience ever."

The Oculus Go features new lenses, a 2560x1440 screen and spatial audio built into the headset, which can be used without headphones. The Oculus Go controller is similar to that of the Gear VR, which should help developers to build for both headsets at the same time. Facebook plans to start offering its Oculus Go developer kit in November. 

Facebook first said it was building a standalone, affordable VR headset a year ago. Zuckerberg has described VR as the next major computing platform after mobile phones. Oculus Go should help position make Facebook to become less reliant on smartphone makers. So far, the Samsung Gear VR is the most popular way consumers engage with virtual reality. Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that to date, more than 100 million apps have been downloaded in VR. 

In Wednesday's keynote, Zuckerberg highlighted his view that VR will ultimately make people's lives better, rejecting the idea that the technology is "isolating and anti-social," calling it "the opposite." The executive noted how VR can be used to improve education (for example, as a training tool for medical students learning about the heart), medicine (Zuckerberg showed footage showing how VR has been used to help patients regain motor functions), and social connection and work calls, when meeting in person isn't possible. Zuckerberg also noted VR's entertainment value, describing how an elderly woman in the UK uses Oculus to virtually visit vacation places, because she isn't able to physically travel, and of course, games -- the way people most commonly use VR now. Zuckerberg also announced on Wednesday that Facebook will launch a new live-entertainment experience called "Venues," which will let people to watch live sports, movie premiers and concerts, with friends in VR.

"Saying that VR is isolating because it’s immersive is really narrow," Zuckerberg said. "Opening up experiences to all of us -- that’s not isolating, that’s freeing."

"When we run up vs the limits of reality, VR will make it that much better," Zuckerberg added. 

Since Facebook's major push into live video last year, the company has come under public scrutiny for failing to adequately monitor violent and sensitive content. Zuckerberg noted on Wednesday that Facebook will need to be careful to build a "safe environment" in VR and one that "is a force for good." Oculus said it plans to launch live streaming tools for virtual reality down the line. 

Zuckerberg made a big bet on the emerging space three years ago when Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion dollars, before Oculus had even launched a product. At last year's conference, Facebook announced it was committing $250 million to fund a range of new content, such as games and entertainment, betting that "great software experiences" are the next frontier of VR. The funding came in an addition to the $250 million Oculus had already pledged to content development, and $10 million of the fund was allocated specifically for educational virtual reality material. Oculus has also been working with partners such as Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices to sell the Oculus Rift with cheaper computers. 

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