References to next-gen Oculus Rift S headset reportedly found in internal code

After we broke the news in November that Oculus’s former CEO had left the company partially due to disagreements on the company’s PC hardware direction, including the cancellation of a high-end “Rift 2” in favor of a more iterative “Rift S” headset, new details are emerging that confirm Facebook’s directional shift for its flagship headset.

User interface code discovered by UploadVR seems to confirm that Oculus is actively readying their software for the “Rift S” hardware. Details, including the “Rift S” name and the fact that the headset will be powered by onboard cameras rather than external sensors, were apparent from code that referenced options to change settings on the “Rift S cameras.” The report also details that the displays could function differently and utilize a software-based approach for adjusting for the distance between a user’s eyes.

We’ve reached out to Facebook for comment.

UploadVR found some supporting files that back up my November report that Oculus is releasing a new headset with inside-out tracking called the Rift S https://t.co/9wK02Pr80n

— Lucas Matney (@lucasmtny) February 5, 2019

Our initial report detailed that Oculus would be abandoning its external sensor system and relying on the onboard tracking camera setup from the Oculus Quest headset. Additionally we shared details that the device’s display resolution would be getting a small bump.

We’ve been told that the Rift S headset will launch this year. Last year, the Oculus Go headset was revealed at Facebook’s F8 conference; will we see a similar unveil in a few months for both the Rift S and Oculus Quest, or will the social networking giant space out its VR hardware launches a bit?