Virtual reality tech is constantly evolving thanks to the ongoing efforts of companies like Sony, HTC Vive, and Facebook-subsidiary Oculus. Last week, Oculus announced it was discontinuing its Oculus Go standalone headset after just two years in circulation, but today the reason for this may be more apparent now that Facebook has released a first look at an experimental VR headset that seems as portable as a pair of sunglasses.
This new prototype headset, which utilizes holographic optics and "polarization-based optical folding" according to the Facebook Research Blog post, can apparently achieve a field of view comparable to current consumer VR products using a less than 9 mm thick display. Based on a proof-of-concept video released by Facebook that shows off the device running a driving simulator, there definitely appears to be potential here.
At the end of the post, it's said that the work being done by Facebook Reality Labs is purely research at this stage, and needs more development to become practical. However, the prototype "milestone" device will be shown off at this year's virtual SIGGRAPH conference, and the company is clearly looking to shore up its capacity to develop VR games. Facebook acquired The Order: 1886 developer Ready At Dawn according to an announcement on June 22.
Facebook is also looking to expand more into gaming spheres of influence by leveraging its streaming platform, Facebook Gaming. Last week, Microsoft announced it was shutting down Mixer, and streamers are being transitioned to Facebook as a replacement.
Source: Facebook Research Blog