The revelation came after report say that the company has finalized a deal with Samsung Electronics. Through this, it was agreed that the Korean company manufactures the displays that are needed by Oculus. In return, Oculus will develop the software that Samsung would need for its very own headset.
The partnership has also helped Oculus VR in dealing with the manufacturing issues involved in the Oculus Rift. Apparently, the company had to suspend its sales in February as a result of the shortage of its parts and components.
The latest Rift DK2 boasts of several enhanced features which give it an edge over the original model. This would include motion tracking, enhanced software, and a peripheral-ready USB port. Around 45,000 costumers had already made their pre-orders since early July.
The most notable upgrade of the new DK2 is its new, 1080P display from Samsung. It's not a unique type of display that's been manufactured for the first time by the Korean company. In fact, it is the same and the exact display that the company uses in making the Galaxy Note 3 which features the ubiquitous home button slot and other common components.
In a teardown video, iFixit discovered that the Rift DK2 actually has the screen of Galaxy 3 hidden in its display. iFixit describes that the screen is "in a plastic backing and encased in a suspicious rubber case." Probing further, the teardown website decided to peel some parts of the display and found a full front panel of Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 hidden underneath.
Apart from having the screen, the front panel also has cables and the familiar touchscreen controller from Samsung. On the whole, the front panel is said to be less expensive compared to a custom panel. Its Super AMOLED component is perfect for the rift because it's bright and crisp. Moreover, users can also enjoy color-rich viewing from the panel's vivid color feature. Oculus VR must have enhanced the standard 60 Hz refresh rate of the Note 3 display in order to come up with a 75 Hz capability that the company is marketing for the new Rift DK2.
The Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2 is priced at $350. It should be noted that the consumer version of the Oculus Rift won't have the 1080p Super AMOLED display of the Galaxy Note 3. The company is using the current screen in its DK2 model for the purpose of saving money in manufacturing a custom panel.
