Oculus Rift touch controllers delayed to second half of 2016

Oculus' VR-ready Touch controllers won't be ready to launch alongside the Rift headset.

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Oculus VR has announced that the Oculus Rift's Touch controllers won't be launching alongside the VR headset, and have been delayed to the second half of 2016.

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In a recent blog post, the VR pioneers at Oculus said they need more time to perfect the wireless VR peripheral. Luckily, this delay won't affect the main attraction: the Rift is still on schedule to release in Q1 2016 with pre-orders following in the new future.

"On the path to perfecting Touch, we've decided that we need more time before release, and we'll now be shipping Touch in the second half of 2016. Pre-orders will open a few months prior to launch," the announcement reads. "On Touch hardware, we've made significant advances in ergonomics, and we're implementing many changes that make Touch even more comfortable, reliable, and natural. We're also implementing changes that improve hand pose recognition.The Oculus Touch originally made waves as the first-ever controller made specifically for a VR headset, and like the Rift, the hardware has gone through many changes and variations."

The Oculus Touch controllers use haptic feedback to add a sense of touch to the simulated world of VR, adding in a significant "hand presence" to bolster the spell of immersion. Like the Rift itself, the Touch hardware is quite complex and needs many more bouts of testing and sculpting before its ready for public use.

Oculus assures us that the Touch will be worth the wait. The VR specialists teased that a "huge amount of ground-breaking new content" will release alongside the Touch controllers, and it'll be interesting to see the Facebook-owned company's full battle plan to dominate the year of VR tech.

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NEWS SOURCE:oculus.com

Derek joined the TweakTown team in 2015 and has since reviewed and played 1000s of hours of new games. Derek is absorbed with the intersection of technology and gaming, and is always looking forward to new advancements. With over six years in games journalism under his belt, Derek aims to further engage the gaming sector while taking a peek under the tech that powers it. He hopes to one day explore the stars in No Man's Sky with the magic of VR.

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