Facebook expected to launch standalone VR headset

Johannesburg - Social network Facebook reportedly may make a bigger push toward Virtual Reality by launching its own standalone VR headset at its developer conference in May.  

According to a Variety exclusive, the world’s biggest social media platform will officially launch its Oculus Go headset at its f8 developer conference on May 1. 

The annual developer conference showcases Facebook’s latest technology and gives users a glimpse into what's next for the platform. 

F8 is expected to be held at the McEnery Convention Centre in San Jose, California, on May 1 and 2, and is intended for developers and entrepreneurs who build third-party products and services around the social network.

The Oculus Go is a VR headset with no PC or wires attached and pricing is expected to start at $199, according to its website.

The Oculus Go is designed to allow users to play over 1 000 VR games, accessing social apps, watch sports in 360° VR and other content from services like Netflix.

• READ: Facebook wants you to type with brain waves

Facebook first announced the headset in October, as a mid-range device between Samsung’s Gear VR phone-holster headset which is priced at $129 and the Oculus Rift priced at $499.

According to The Verge, the Oculus Go will be built by Chinese smartphone-maker Xiaomi and has a Snapdragon 821 processor inside. 

At last year’s f8 conference, Facebook announced that it was working on a system that will allow people to type text using their brain waves. 

Facebook’s research lab set a goal to create a silent speech system capable of typing 100 words per minute straight from the brain.

The research lab was also working on a project directed at allowing people to hear with their skin, and is building the hardware and software necessary to deliver language through the skin.