Facebook plans to stick with virtual reality for the long haul-- according to TechCrunch, the social network is reogranising Oculus to a "functional structure focused around technology areas of expertise."
Such a reshuffle, the report states, allows Oculus to work as a whole on the long term, instead being split into groups working on separate gadgets. Facebook does confirm the "internal changes" to TechCrunch, stating the company's leadership remains as is with CTO John Carmack and co-founder/Head of PC VR Nate Mitchell reporting to Facebook VP of AR/VR Andrew "Boz" Bosworth.
However Oculus did see a recent change in leadership-- co-founder and former CEO Brendan Iribe left the the company earlier last month. Allegedly the reason behind the departure is the cancellation of the "Rift 2," a next-generation "complete redesign" of the original PC-powered headset. According to TechCrunch, Iribe has "fundamentally different views on the future of Oculus" from Facebook, and is not interested in a "race to the bottom" in terms of performance.
As for what is next for Oculus, TechCrunch suggests the company is working on a "more modest product update" dubbed the Rift S. The headset apparently involves little more than a resolution boost and as the swapping of the external sensor-tracking system with the "inside-out" Insight tracking system found in the Oculus Quest standalone headset.
Will Facebook manage to bring VR to the mainstream through a reshuffled Oculus? A more efficiently organised company might be better suited for the development of moonshot effots, such as ultra-thin headsets. Guess we will have to wait to learn whether such a strategy will bear headset fruit.
Go Facebook Reorganises Oculus for AR/VRs Long-Haul (TechCrunch)
Go After Canceling "Rift 2" Overhaul, Oculus Plans a Modest Update to Flagship VR Headset
