Facebook’s Zuckerberg talks promise of VR at Oculus conference

The company tallied 100 million app downloads, he said, and added that the company continues to work on a less-bulky version of its headsets.

But he said the company has a goal: Get 1 billion people in VR. 

He didn’t say by when, but showed off a new lower-cost device, called Oculus Go to make it happen. 

Unlike the company’s flagship Oculus Rift device, the Oculus Go doesn’t need to be tethered to a bulky PC or have a phone snapped into it. Instead, it is all self-contained, and will cost $199 (less than half the $499 price tag of the Rift) and be available by “early next year,” he said.

Aside from the new device, Zuckerberg focused on discussing the promise of what VR can do. Most people won’t have a chance to go into space, he said, but they can in VR. He also talked about doctors at using VR ahead of heart surgery and teams holding meetings in virtual rooms. 

“We’re legitimately excited about the future and we’re committed to making it a reality,” he said.

This story is developing…

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