Update: Facebook has responded to TechCrunch’s report regarding the reported cancelation of Rift 2, stating: “While we can’t comment on our product roadmap specifics, we do have future plans, and can confirm that we are planning for a future version of Rift.”
It’s unknown if this “future version of Rift” refers specifically to Rift 2 or another product.
Original Story:
Brendan Iribe, co-founder of Oculus, has left the company after the company’s owners at Facebook have reportedly cancelled a next-generation Oculus Rift. Iribe confirmed his departure today.
According to TechCrunch, Iribe had been heading development of what was internally called the Rift 2, a PC-powered (and thus PC-tethered) headset that iterates on the company’s original headset, the Oculus Rift. Oculus’ parent company Facebook has seemingly ended development on the new headset, indicating a focus change on Oculus headsets that don’t require a powerful personal computer to use.
Last month, Facebook and Oculus announced a standalone VR headset called the Oculus Quest, which seems to be the direction the company wants to move rather than the Rift.
Iribe co-founded Oculus as part of a Kickstarter with seemingly ousted former-chief Palmer Luckey in 2012. The company was sold to Facebook in 2014 for $2 billion, moving Iribe from the company’s CEO to the head of the PC VR division.
[Source: TechCrunch]
