Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Oculus Go Standalone Virtual Reality Headset

Top positive review

Set your expectations right and you will not be disappointed!

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2018

Okay, so I've tinkered with Google Cardboard with my iPhone. But of course, that's pretty limited. It was neat, but no something I'd pay much money for. I spent a good chunk of time reading up on early reviews prior to the official release and decided on the Oculus Go. I had my expectations set appropriately. I wasn't expecting it to blow my mind as if I'd stepped 10-20 years into the future of tech. It's $200, and I understand how much technology you can really fit into that price point.

That said, this is pretty darn awesome!! Part of my decision for Go vs. waiting for the Lenovo stand-alone, is that Oculus Go pairs up with the Gear VR store. Soooo many more apps and games in there... some 4-5 times more. And when you're talking 250+ vs. 1000+, that's significant! And while 6dof would have been nice, I can't see paying TWICE the price for it.

My initial/primary use for it is to view my home media. I run a plex server at home, and Plex supports this device. It would actually be the only way I currently have to watch a couple 3D videos I have at home (don't you hate when friends/family buy you a gift you can't use yet). The video is not as nice as watching it on a high end TV. But you know what... those cost $600-2000 and is just a TV. Yes, you can see pixels. But after a while, I tune it out. I'm of the generation that remembers growing up with 320x200 TVs. Hell, my college TV was an old 13" VHS/TV combo I'd had since I was 10 years old hooked up to my commodore. So, still WAY better than that!

Anyway... I got mine on Friday. The Plex app is good, but needs work (that's on them, not the Oculus Go). I started playing some games as well, and am really enjoying the VR experience. My wife was a little less impressed, but she also expects iPhone OLED reality. I explained the state of the tech to her and she was a little more understanding, but wants her Ready Player One experience already. LOL.

My main cons (but not negative enough to take a way a star, for me):
- The battery life could be better. 2-3 hours is a lot, but it's amazing how much you lose time when that thing is on your head. They say you're not supposed to have it plugged in to charge while wearing it, but no explanation. I'm not sure if it's about the heat of battery charging while also using it, or if it's a CYA legal disclaimer. But if it takes 3 hours to charge (what claims/reviews say) and 2 hours of play time, that means even if it is pluggged in and charging, it will drain faster than it can charge.
- The fabric on the mask is good, but could be a tad softer. I've read some other VR goggles are uncomfortable and can't be worn for more than 30 minutes. This is better than that. But it does have some pressure points and leaves a good indentation on your face after wearing it for an hour or two.
- The lenses fog up at first. From what I read, this is a common issue with these headsets. Seems like they would work on some sort of vents or something to promote airflow. But once they warm up (either by warming them [someone suggested a hair dryer for a moment] or after 10-15 minutes of wearing them), the fogging goes away.

The $200 is well worth the price! I do hope for improvements with software updates. I think if people have their expectations set appropriately (do some research, watch a few video reviews), they will not be disappointed with the Oculus Go. It's fun and it's priced at a level that I do think will launch VR much more into mainstream. I do hope that more apps/games come out, and that 1000+ app store grows to 10000+ apps. I would love to see more adaptations of mainstream games, although, I suspect processor power wouldn't be able to handle them well with battery life.

I'm still exploring the store to find new apps. I want to check out some of the virtual gatherings (wish I had time today to watch the live launch of XSpace rocket for Bangladesh). I don't expect my opinion/review to downgrade, unless I encounter a system failure that Oculus fails to support.

If you're new to VR and not expecting a Ready Player One experience just yet, I think the Oculus Go is a good choice.

11 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Ferdinand Cami

So, so disappointing

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2019

As far as first impressions go, I was impressed initially by the videos and packaging, it felt like a high quality product when unpacking it. Pulled out the headset, started it up, the setup seemed to drive me to set up a Facebook account (which I don't have.) The interface should have tiles with "Create Oculus Account" or "Sign in with Facebook Account." BUT that wasn't the case here, it was Facebook account and in smaller font, "create oculus account."

After setup of the headset and the app on my phone, here are my gripes:

1. Battery life. There was enough battery life when initially opened to set up the headset, download 2-3 apps and maybe watch one VR video (3-4 minutes). Charged the headset for about an hour and half, had it up to 60% battery life and that lasted about 30-40 minutes. Seemed on the low end.
2. Casting to phone or smartTV. This was painful and the cast hardly ever rendered on any devices casted to in realtime. Note, the Oculus wasn't able to directly cast to my TV, so I had to install the application to an Andriod/iOS device and hope I could cast/mirror from there to my TV. Installed it on my phone with the hopes that I would be able to cast to my TV. Didn't work. Then installed Oculus app to my new-ish iPad, the cast to the iPad was choppy and it wouldn't cast to my TV. This REALLY impacts the user experience for those not wearing the headset. FYI, I cast my phone to my TV fairly regularly. My kids cast YouTubeKids from their iPads to our TV on their own, they push a button and voila, iPad to TV!
3. The Operating System seems really cheap. The user interface/experience is horrible.
4. Prior to purchasing the headset, scroll through the application library/store online. I was somewhat taken aback on how pricey the applications are, found a few free applications, like epic roller coasters, with the free version of this application, you get 1 roller coaster track and your pick of one or two cars for that track. Come on Facebook.
5. Downloaded Bait, Coco, VR Youtube, Netflix and a few others. I tried to like the headset but the applications were extremely pixelated.
6. Micro USB?!? I would have been able to overlook the MicroUSB had you provided a cable that was over 3 feet long. Given No 1 (battery life), why not include a cable long enough to allow us to keep our headsets plugged to a power source while in use? The adapter was really cheap, and barely stayed connected to my power strip. [shaking my head]
7. No bluetooth/built-in cast

I just re-packed the Oculus and am sending it back after 2 days of use. That's my experience. Seems like many others loved it, it was the reviews on Amazon that drove my decision, which is why I felt the need to post my experience since there's an overwhelming "loved it!!!" on here.

2 people found this helpful

8,042 total ratings, 2,472 with reviews

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From the United States

A. Sleeis

Set your expectations right and you will not be disappointed!

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2018

Size: 64GBConfiguration: SingleVerified Purchase

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

Lamar Doss

Great for new people to VR and other who have used it for years already.

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2018

Size: 64GBConfiguration: SingleVerified Purchase

Outlined Review: Best VR first experience

Who are these for:
Anyone wanting to try VR with a quick, portable, easy setup solution.

The Plan:
Impulse buy really. I wasn’t looking for this, just browsing. When I ran across it and saw how easy it seemed to use, I figured how’s my chance to try VR and what the hype is all about.

First Impressions:
Very well packaged, smooth, easy, and organized. I figured this needed to charge first. Once it was done, I put it on my head and turned it on. I went through the setup process easily and was right into the Oculus home screen. This is not like seeing a commercial on tv or anything I’ve tried. It truly felt like I was standing right in front of a big virtual menu and inside a “real virtual” room. Right then, I knew this was going to be something I was glad I purchased.

For Media:
Music, movies, tv shows, documentaries, sports... you name it, this can play it completely unlike anything I’ve tried before. The experience of standing in front of a band playing live in a concert completely on the other side of earth is crazy, in a good way. I mean, I couldn’t understand a word of it or recognize the language, but I liked it. And watching a movie or show on this, takes you out of your physical location and into VR unknowingly. Next thing I know, the battery was about dead as it had been almost 3 hours of me using it. I couldn’t wait to charge it for more.

For Games:
At first, it’s easy to think that there aren’t many good games since many of the ones on here, or close to all, are games you may not have heard of before. But don’t let that fool you. Start exploring and you’ll soon find that there are tons of games and they are worth trying out... My mind... blown. I never thought I would have as much fun riding a roller coaster that I wasn’t actually riding. Yes, I know it isn’t the real thing. But you can’t help to feel that you’re a part of it, that you’re there. Anyways, there are fantastic games for this. Take a moment and try some free ones out. You won’t be disappointed.

Tips:
- I put clear Velcro on the side of the controller that comes with it. That way I can attach the controller to the side of the headset on the straps while I’m watching a movie or show and don’t need to use the controller for a while and not lose it.
- If your cheeks start to hurt after a while, try tilting the sides where the straps are on the hard plastic pieces up while keeping the headset level. This will make the headset tilt slightly up and off your cheeks, something I wish I had known when I first got mine.
- When not in use, put a microfiber cloth on top of your lenses in the headset. It will help keep them clean or from getting smudges.

In conclusion:
I know not much was said here concerning the Oculus GO itself. But it was, all of it. Because if a VR headset can make you feel the way this one does and you forget most of the time that you’re even wearing it, then I think that’s what makes a great VR headset. I’m excited to see the next step in VR.

Pros:
- Comfort level while wearing is good in my opinion.
- Fast and easy to use and learn.
- Comes with glasses insert that you can install easily to help keep it comfortable for people wearing glasses.
- Quality materials used.

Cons:
- Short battery life.
- Would like to see a visor version to swap out straps.
- Not Bluetooth
- Keyboard typing on it isn’t very user friendly. (Would like to see this resolved by being compatible with real keyboards.

I would highly recommend this to anyone. Wether you’re new to VR like I was or you’ve been in the VR world for a while now, there’s no downside to having the Oculus GO.

Thank you

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Malcolm Granger

Missed perfection by just this much...

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2018

Size: 64GBConfiguration: SingleVerified Purchase

Just short of perfection! I ordered the Go's and the Mirage Solo + Mirage VR180 Camera at the same time. The Go came in quickly, still waiting for the Mirage Solo. After being a keen adopter from the old Cardboard days, I had to try the Go. My comments and notes:
1. Easy to set up, used my iPhone to initiate and I keep the Oculus Store on my iPhone. Very much easy.
2. The fit is quickly adjustable but really one size will fit all, very easy to remove and pass along to others to try. They can get warm around the eyes after an hour, but otherwise, you will be too engrossed to notice. I was able to adjust the clarity by move the headset around my eyes (they will work best when down around the lower part of the nose.
3. The first view is breathtaking. The 'environments' are essentially backgrounds from a field of maltese dogs to the GG bridge to Grand Canyon. You will forever remember the first time these are on. The menus are a bit confusing at first, but in time, they become natural particularly when using the amazing and handy hand controller. Wow, that is a cool thing to have - part laser pointer, part flashlight, it does a perfect job of navigating. Never enter a haunted mansion without it! The battery AA in that never seems to drain. Just brilliant.
4. Battery life on the Go is about 2 hours, but you can run the Go from a long microUSB cable. No overheating events at all, so far.
5. The built-in speakers are ideal, no earbuds to mess with and reasonable sound quality. No bluetooth for better earbuds, but wired buds work better. Note that folks around you will hear every sound, specially when you are crying like a little girl when jump scares pop out at you. I think much of the appeal of the Go (despite the much lower cost compared to the Mirage Solo) is the smart inclusion of built-in speakers).
6. Now the rub; the resolution is touted at around UHD (~2400x1440) but that is spread over the two eyes and the dramatic view. So they are about 1200x1440 over a huge field of view. That means that resolution of the viewing area for example netflix or viewing photos from your camera roll are really, really 'low-resolution'. This is not going to be a killer netflix viewer and definitely not for viewing photos. That realization was hard for me to accept and thus the missing 5th star. That being said (and I doubt the Mirage Solo will be any better...), its the nature of the apps that take the prize here. Engrossing, amazing, scared silly all at the same time.
7. Charge over about 2 hours, cool navigation system, awe-inspiring views, no shearing or low frame-rate. Almost transparent; its so fast from head movement to video update. Maybe a faster snapdragon 845 chipset will make the Go2 a must-have, but these Go goggles will sell like crazy. Folks will line up outside your office to see why everyone is screaming and crying! Ultimate party must-have.
8. Buy the 64gb option for the extra ~$50. Most of the virtual tours, etc, will eat up to 1gb each, and you will quickly want every app there is in the store. Now, the top-rated games can be up to $12-$15 and that's hard to deal with but you will spend up to an extra $200 just on the various games. Like the iTunes store is a sizable expense into the Apple Universe.
9. Ok, the games and the good and bad. After watching nearly every Youtube review of the device and all the 'best games" - remember these are guys who just speak from some vague stuff they've online. It becomes clear that they have never owned or even used one...here's the real scoop and what i found cool and a lot of just orphaned garbage apps. When in doubt, look for the number of downloads, thats a great indicator of how good they are...

Get immediately:
A. Coaster Combat - holy smokes, this app just slays people. I still cannot stand up and ride this fast shooter-coaster app. It is the perfect party experience. Surprisingly, the more you drink beforehand, the better you are. The Himalaya level is almost beyond belief - it's so engrossing.
B. Affected - haunted mansion on a kind-of rail from room to room with a load of jump scares and weird paintings and details. The best of the bunch. No shooting, no zombies, just eerie, creepy exploration with 3D mist, flies, and flying objects tossed at you. Watch out for the weird crying babies and little children trying to get your attention.
C. Drop Dead - a fast-paced shoot the zombies in the head. Don't forget, they come at you from all sides, even straight behind you.
D. Anshar - a clean 3D space shooter in a convincing ship that can hover, fly, shoot, etc. Well made.
E. Basically anything that is free, well, because they are free.
F. Mission ISS because I defy you to fly through the ISS and then emerge into space while standing up. Still cares me to death. Very real.

Avoid some real stinkers. Like a lame fish app called Ocean Rift, which for $10 is totally nonsense. Jurassic World, Blue is the 1.5Gb maybe 40-second follow a lo-res raptor around a jungle. A perfect example of total crap.

GrooVR - here is an example of a seemingly orphaned app that is totally ignored and not supported and one that will nonetheless make every "must-have" Youtube review. It touts a 3D surreal series of old $1 'Winamp' visualizers with some crank eurodance and a clearly stated Spotify implementation. Fly across a psychedelic lake while in your playlist from Spotify? Not so fast; the Spotify ability hasn't been implemented and won't be, judging from the many pleas for help. This feels like an abandoned app carcass.

Surely, someone has checked all the 900+ apps to feed out the losers? Nope, most of the '1000 apps available now' are just bloat-ware. No standardization anywhere, just release some crap-app to boost the '1000 apps' available. Sad and lamentable given the resources of Facebook. Oh, and beware, a lot of 'Oculus' branded apps will require you to log into Facebook, which I dislike.

So, I found this first gen affordable VR experience well worthwhile the $249 (64gb) +$100 (apps) entry price. It will create an instant sensation (until everyone has bought one for themselves) and is an amazing (sometimes frightening) experience. I just wish for the following; a microSD slot, better VR180 implementation with Google's series of apps and cameras, maybe just a 2X improvement in resolution, better guides to getting user-owned photos and videos into the Go, and having someone with patience to weed out the absolute garbage floating in the Go library.

70 people found this helpful

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Over 15 Years Reviewing

Good, But lacking in many areas. Privacy is much better then others.

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2019

Size: 64GBConfiguration: SingleVerified Purchase

UPDATE : Two Years Later
Still holding up to three hours charge.
Still working well. Its not a high end. But for basic viewing and surfing its good.
Allot of reviews are from people streaming and not understanding the pixels are effected by how weak your WIFI is .
Bumped to 5 Stars, for longevity.

Having tried the Oculus S and the Oculus Quest both for the price were way off the mark with issues.
Enter the year old or So Oculus Go.

Over View.
The Oculus Go. is the simplicity with advancement heading in the right direction. Only a few aspects of this unit make it out of date. It is unknown why oculus is taking so many risks. From having the Oculus S, which had a display port and no HDMI and no adjustable IDP, To Quests terrible resolutions and high cost.
Why the Samsung Gear is long expired its lifetime. It got a few things correct. Simplicity and the ability to adapt to many formats as well as using Wi-Fi and other access. The Oculus Go, seems to make this same transition very easily. In fact unlike the Quest that has built-in microphones with no external ability. The Oculus GO does have this intact. It is unknown why they would leave this external port out. That left it in the Oculus GO, which is a lower end unit.

Pros:
extremely lightweight
easily programmed.
Comfortable
comes with one controller that is pretty intuitive and very comparable to the Samsung Gear.

Cons:
The headset stretchy, but may wear out over time.
Battery life on average is about one hour and a half.
You cannot use the unit by being charged.
Full-length movies are not possible in most cases
with only one controller gaming is difficult.
Requires aftermarket software to make it compatible with what the Samsung Gear could do. Making it very much out of date with which you do
.
Conclusion. The visual effects are awesome. However having a set IDP means it may or may not work for the majority of people to try. These glasses most likely will not work. But it does come with an adapter that may help. Quality is decent and the price range only a few dollars less than other higher-end models does do with it as well. The Achilles' heel is its battery life. Even a smart phone used in the Samsung Gear would last longer. In fact there is no other unit today that is released that will last less time than this. There is no way of upgrading the battery without violating the warranty. The fact that it does not have external cameras means that you have to risk your cameras recording and sending information. This is something that cannot be confirmed or denied by the company, but is a scary contemplation that cameras are recording and sending information when you are connected to other units made by oculus. This particular model does not have that ability making security and privacy of the easier for you.

I can only marginally recommend this unit, if you are using it for a short amount of time it's extremely portable and has a very clear screen.. It seems compatible with up to 4K streaming. Which makes it compatible with most modern productions. The hard drive is not necessary if you are local and not needing portability. I was able to access files on my computer and their allowing hard drive to be unused. The 32 GB is substantial for what I am using for. Even though I did purchase the 64 GB, it was not necessary given my use. Keep in mind intends to use about 10 GB or so for average software that's installed. So it's a total of 32, but only about 25 or so available.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

A. O.

Quick summary...Controller, speakers, apps and VS Lenovo

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2018

Size: 64GBConfiguration: SingleVerified Purchase

I ordered this and pre ordered the Lenovo Mirage Solo to see which I'll like. I'll eventually return one and depending on what I like. Originally I had the Gear VR and this Oculus Go is a huge step up from the Gear VR. I couldn't use the Gear VR more than 10 minutes before I had to put my phone in the freezer to cool it down. This Oculus has no overheating issues whatsoever. So that's a major plus.

The controller: Works everytime, comfortable, and the trigger makes it fun to use.
The speakers: Sound much better than expected. It's clear, has enough bass in it considering their size. It sounds better than expected. I don't even need to use earbuds (unlike Lenovo's)
Apps: Apps are more pricier than I thought. I'd say on average they're more expensive than the play or app store. But there's a ton of free content and apps so you might only end up buying a few apps if you really want.

When wearing the headset there's a bit of a gap around your nose, it doesnt sit as tight against your nose as the Gear VR did. If you look down while wearing it youll see your chest a bit. But i understand why this is, they did this so when youre wearing it, it'll have ventilation by your eyes so the lens don't get foggy. My Gear VR i had to take off every minute to clear the lenses as the heat from your eyes would make the lens foggy but this doesn't do that. The solution to the nose gap was to place the headset just a little bit more down on my nose. It isn't a deal breaker.

I purchased the 64GB version thinking I'll need the space but there is nowhere that says how much storage you have left which is really weird. I can't find how much space I've already used and what's left over. I've searched all over I can't find it. That is really odd. I'm sure an update will fix this.

As of right now this Oculus Go is a go. For $200-$250 you can't go wrong. Most likely will end up returning the Lenovo altought it has more functionality with your head movement. (6dof). Lenovo's battery does last longer, but it is a bit heavier and the controller, oh it's just horrible. What was google thinking. Oculus claims a 2 hour battery life, I've only had it a few days and even when I'm so excited cause i just got it, I still don't get to use it that much that I go through the entire battery. (your usage may vary). This thing is off my head way before the battery hits 50%. By the time I put it back on I'm already charged at a 100% so battery is no issue.

856 people found this helpful

Helpful

Ferdinand Cami

So, so disappointing

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2019

Size: 32GBConfiguration: SingleVerified Purchase

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Matthew N.

Great Experience, Good hardware, Obvious Limitations, Weak Software Selection

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2018

Size: 32GBConfiguration: SingleVerified Purchase

Geez, the Oculus Go makes me feel two ways.

The experience of the Go is terrific. Oculus is really starting to get it down to a science - it's like they took the simplicity of Home 1.0 and the lessons from the Home 2.0 beta and streamlined it to something that works almost as simply as a smartphone. I'm no novice to VR (used Rift/Vive/Gear on multiple occasions) but after a relatively simple setup, this is easy, no-nonsense, almost bare-bones efficient. I feel confident handing the headset off to my parents - that says a lot.

The design behind the hardware is clean and already analyzed to death, so the basics; it's more comfortable than any other VR setup I've used, there is neat optical trickery with the lenses to limit the "screen door" effect, the included stuff is sufficient for a complete experience, and as a glasses-wearer, the included spacer was a nice touch.

The limitations on the headset tracking are obnoxious, especially when compared to the fairly impressive tracking on the Go controller. It comes down to the app, but feeling like a turret-head does not always translate pleasantly. Framerate problems exist in some apps but not all - developers have an obligation to get that optimization right, and the ones that do (especially at the poorly-indicated 72 Hz mode) shine for it.

The biggest problem right now is the lack of quality content. Even a month after launch, it feels like paying $200 for a ticket to a theme park, only to find that 90% of the free thrill rides were made by undergrads at the local technical college, and access to a proper coaster costs another $7.99 - including time spent in the line. The organization/browsing system on the store right now seems to focus on making you overwhelmed with the amount of crap available rather than highlighting anything that helps you make an informed purchasing decision. I spent ~$50 on eight games, but even doing research beforehand, I still do not feel like I got a good value for my money.

- Coaster Combat is sleek and well optimized (especially compared to the stuttery and imo awful Epic Roller Coasters), but only one of the four tracks gave me the sense of thrill I was looking for - the others felt akin to those wimpy Dragon mini-coasters you see at local fairs.
- Gunjack is worth four quarters into at the movie theater arcade - very thin gameplay and a waste of the awesome EVE Online license.
- Smash Hit is one of the best values ($2.99) and really seems to "get" how to create a fun VR effect, but at least its price justifies a simple arcade experience.
- Ocean Rift is very neat and well-animated, but is really just for impressing friends after the first thirty minutes.
- Skylight seems like the perfect game for me (turn based space strategy on a holo-interface), but is clearly designed for the Gear VR and does not work properly with the Go controller as of writing.
- Anshar Online has potential, but desperately needs a new control scheme (which the developers are committed to - kudos to them) and has one of the most unattractive micro-transaction stores I've ever seen.
- Lucifer's Mask is ridiculous in a sort of Gamecube-era Suda 51 way. It's confusing and a little janky, but at least it's ambitious.

A few caveats; I am not into horror, I don't have a Facebook account for Oculus Venues, and I find 360 photos boring, so if any of that is your bag, you may have more content available that plays to your interests. I also want to try Virtual Virtual Reality and a couple of the other simulator style games, though there seems to be this recurring "what do we do after the robots replace us?" storytelling trend that seems on the verge of naval-gazing. Last, there are some free apps like the NY Times that have quality content hidden under their free shells that are worth digging for.

But! Even when compared to the average Oculus Rift experience, where "AAA" games are already stripped down to their essentials, it feels like I'm paying for a collection of demos. I know this is a factor of high development costs, limitations of file size, and a new medium with a low installed user-base, but oof, guys...

I am happy that I picked this up with the intention of developing my own apps. There is potential here. But with the next generation of Better VR looming in the not-so-distant future, how much of that potential will be realized before this $200+ purchase is obsolete?

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

David

Simply the best COMPLETE intro to VR on the market.

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2019

Size: 64GBConfiguration: SingleVerified Purchase

Simply GREAT! I am shocked at any review under 3 stars. Any other VR device costs around $1,000 or more unless you are using your smartphone. However, to get the content, there is little to nothing else out there. And the Go is completely self contained! I mean you literally have all you need I the box. And there is so much free content, you don’t need to pay another dime and can fully enjoy all the features on this device.

One person complained the battery life is too short. So plug the thing in to the wall! Another person complained the video quality is not worth the price. I used the Hulu app to stream movies and was blown away! Yeah, it’s not 4K on my TV, but I don’t have a cinema screen in my living room either. This product is, hands down, the best COMPREHENSIVE intro to VR for the price. Sure, use your smartphone and a Google cardboard VR device, but that will not compare with the immersive experience of the Go. Yes, some content has poor quality rendering, but that is not the fault of the Go. There are tons of high res VR videos and it keeps expanding. As for the screen door effect, that’s simply the trade off for the exceptional price. The Go is all you’ll ever NEED for a VR device of high quality and comprehensive features. That’s what makes it a smart buy, especially for the novice. However, combined with the affordable price makes it a great buy.

Of course the Go is NOT all you’ll ever WANT. We all want greater resolution and a more immersive experience. Other more expensive units offer this, to a degree. But I just can’t see any serious negatives on this device. IMO it is the best possible buy you can get for the price. Just be ready to take some Dramamine before you try a fast moving game. You may even need it just for the set up if you get motion sickness easily. Get the Go and have the time of your life.

I will say the only issue I have found is learning to navigate and determine what content is good for me. So be ready to learn a new skill. It is relatively intuitive and the learning curve for most should not be steep. But be patient and look for help on YouTube. A lot of good videos are out there to help train you on how best to use the Go. So Go......and Have fun!

3 people found this helpful

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DaegenLok

Impressive When Purchased With Known Limitations and Differences to Desktop VR In Mind!

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2018

Size: 32GBConfiguration: SingleVerified Purchase

First Things First: Separate your expectations comparitively to the PC VR experience.

The one thing that this has going for it is the increase in resolution and H. This allows;

1) Less Screen-Door Effect (SDE)
2) Higher Level of detail due to higher Pixel Density Per Eye.
3) Up to 75hrz depending on the app dev to allow a VERY smooth experience, hence lower sickness feeling when turning your head.

This is a completely stand-alone system. Setup is straight forward.

1) Go to the Android App Store (Play Store) or the comparable iOS Store and download the "Oculus" App.
2) Open the App & create your account. Choose your Username that can be anything you don't mind the public seeing. It can be changed once every 6 months. Your full name will come next.
3) After Creation verify your email with the link that was sent to your email address you registered.
4) Head in to set up your Oculus Go. Very straight forward. You can use the app to "purchase" apps as well. That way you don't have to use the Oculus Go to scrounge through apps when you can do it on your phone. You can even go to Oculus' website as well on the desktop to purchase.

At the moment there are already a ton a major media apps
I.E. Netflix/Hulu/HBO/Showtime/Etc./Facebook/3D Video & Image Software

Plex Media Server also has an amazing app they are working on. It currently is avail as they wanted to push it out real quick. They are going to be updating it quite soon to work even more flawlessly with your home Plex Media Server.

ALSO! Bigscreen VR is on here as well. They are staying in contact with the public about their developments and it's coming along well. If you are interested in utilizing your PC on your Oculus Go this is the App that will allow you to do so. I wish they had some sort of Chrome Remote Desktop App but Bigscreen VR is pretty great. They are currently working on optimzing it. At the moment I believe they have 1080p @30FPS. They are working towards 60FPS and higher resolution I think.

Overall, the picture quality is impressive compared to the Rift/Vive/WMR (Lenovo/Dell/etc). This will put the resolution to the Samsung Odyssey and the HTC Vive Pro. Do note that this will not be on the same level as the Odyssey and the Vive Pro. They are hooked directly to the PC with a dedicated GPU pushing high demand 3D gaming. This device is more a fun "3D/VR Experience" but mainly a nice multimedia portable device. This is one of the best public VR experiences avail though. It is completely standalone. Doesn't heat up anywhere as much as your phone does when you used the Samsung VR HMD for phones. This allows them to gut out useless phone hardware.

The experience is smooth and more impressive than I imagined it could have been. I will say that the experiences are closer to mobile games than anything you'll get for a full PC VR setup. There is a lot of free content.

NOTE: There is no MicroSD slot. At the moment there is no support for Micro USB port to read USB Flash Drives but from what I have been told, later software updates will add in support for those. There are several decent Micro USB Flash drives avail. If you want to use a regular size drive when the support is added, check out OTG to USB cords.

Overall:

I was impressed. I purchased the device knowing the limitations already. If you do this knowing the limitations you shouldn't be let down. It would be nice to have 6DoFs but this is only 200 with a decent controller. I do with they had a couple little things here and there but at 200 it is essentially an overclocked Galaxy S8 phone + Gear VR. This is by FAR cooler running and by FAR cheaper than a $600 phone + $100 Gear VR HMD adapter + Controller.

1x Downfall: Currently the only thing that is slightly disappointing is the lack of battery life. As the devices main use is multimedia (videos/pictures/"experiences"), the device only last around 2-2.5hrs if you are lucky. When most movies are >2hrs this may become quite a problem. I'm planning on purchasing an Anker 15000mAh battery to carry with me. It's been suggested by Oculus NOT to charge and use it at the same time but heat shouldn't be bad if you are using it for a movie as opposed to a 3D experience which taxes the system a good bit more.

Best Wishes to all.

**Edits**

5/2/18 - After a tweet by Palmer Luckey showed up, we were shown a simple teardown. He confirmed that there is an 18650 - 2600mAh battery cell. This should be quite interesting. If this is the case, someone could easily come in and make a direct replacement upgarde. After iFixit does this teardown difficulty grading we should know more. 18650s can go up to 3500mAh batteries. This should be interesting when more information comes to light. We might be able to add another 1hr of battery life if this is the case. I will keep this updated as long as people continue to find this review useful.

5/3/18 - After a bit of time with it I've readjusted my rating to a little more realistic rating. I thoroughly enjoy the device. Setup is easy. From what I hear you can hold the Vol up+down button at the same time and it'll access some WiFi menu instead of using a phone so you might be able to setup the device without a "new" phone. I am disappointed by the fact that Google is somewhat avoiding this device. There are no Google apps like Google Earth or Google Photos or YouTube. You can access YouTube VR/360 videos through the browser but they are somewhat limiting in the resolution.

I will play with this tonight some more, but from what I have read it may already be possible to use a Micro USB flash drive to transfer content. There might be a side-loading trick so when I receive my Micro USB drive I will check it out and post an update!

I will continue to update as I learn more!

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Nigel Burrell

The VR headset I was waiting for

Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2018

Size: 64GBConfiguration: SingleVerified Purchase

My interested in VR started when I walked past a local electronics store and noticed the Samsung Gear VR headset on display. When I put it on I was blown away! But being in the Apple ecosystem I didn’t have a Samsung smartphone, and the idea of buying one just for this purpose was surplus to requirements. Also, the idea of buying a VR headset that has cables connected to a PC or Playstation has never appealed to me. So instead, I opted to use my iPhone 6s in a rather cheap headset - even though I was fully aware this wasn’t the best VR experience available. Even still, I found the VR experience reasonably impressive, or so I thought.

Then along comes the Oculus Go.

Finally… a VR headset that is self-contained, comfortable to wear, and doesn’t require cable connections to any fancy graphic cards and PCs. This ticked all the boxes and was what I’d been waiting for! So after reading a number of product reviews, I decided to get it. I tried to kept my expectations low (even though I was excited inside!) as this sometimes doesn’t help me when I’m eagerly awaiting for a snazzy new product to arrive. My main wish, however, was that I wanted it to be a noticeable step up from my iPhone VR experience.

So when it arrived I excitedly unboxed it and set it up. I decided to give myself a few days to use it, as a fair assessment, before writing this review.

My first impressions is that it is solidly built and well made. It feels very comfortable to put on. The weight of the headset is about right, as expected. Of course, it would be nice if it was lighter, but it’s comfortable enough to wear. After turning it on and seeing the display screen for the first time I immediate thought a number of things. The resolution is good, although didn’t appear quite as sharp as I anticipated, but more on that later. The sense of emersion, however, what a real improvement! For the first time, I actually felt like I was there… rather than feeling like a distant spectator with narrow vision as per my smartphone-based system. This is because it has a wide field of view of approx 100 degrees (although not published) vs 60 degrees with my smartphone-based headset. Combined with the 72Hz refresh rate which adds to the clarity of movement this also undoubtedly contributes to the sense of emersion.

The Oculus Go comes with it’s own controller. I initially thought having to use a controller would detract from the VR experience, but I was wrong. It makes menu selection, system navigation and video scrubbing, etc, so much easier than the “move your head to the selection on the screen, and wait to confirm” concept. And using it throughout the VR experience feels quite natural, and surprisingly didn't require any learning curve to use it.

Now, on the resolution side of things. When I read the specs on the Oculus Go has a screen resolution of 2560 x 1440 (1280 x 1440 per eye) I was excited! Comparing this to the screen resolution of 1334 x 750 (667 x 750 per eye) on my iPhone 6s - I calculated the Oculus Go has 4 times the amount of pixels. So when I first turned on the Oculus Go I was expecting to see a visually crisp sharp 4k display. But it didn’t seem like this. It’s a great image, very clear and detailed, and better than the resolution on my iPhone 6s… but it’s not like watching the display on a 4k television. It’s hard to describe, but the pixel edges are not as crisp as I imagined they would be. Now I do understand resolution is a subjective thing. And there are other factors involved, as in the so-called “screen door” effect which is caused by the distance between the pixel elements. With the built-in optical lenses precisely tuned to allow our eyes to focus on visual content which is physically very close to the display panel, this is a co-incidental effect. (Although the Oculus Go has been reported as having the least noticeable screen-door effect across the range of VR headset devices on the market). But does this detract from my immersive VR experience? Usually no, but it depends on the quality of content being shown. Low resolution picture and video content on the VR headset looks horrible! However, high resolution pictures and 4k video content looks amazing!

The built-in speakers are reasonably good. Before it arrived I did pre-anticipate the built-in speakers would be low quality, but I’m pleasantly surprised with the sound quality. They are suitable for general occasions - but obviously not for privacy! There were a number of occasions I did forget that the sound was leaking to the outside world for all to hear. Slightly embarrassing, to say the least. But of course it is best to plug in a quality set of headphones for optimised sound quality. The downside is that is doesn’t support bluetooth headphones so it won’t connect to my Apple AirPods. I could use a bluetooth audio transmitter with a 3.5mm headphone jack, but it would ideally need to be mounted onto the headset, and can’t guarantee the audio quality it would transmit.

On the con side, the limited amount of onboard memory means it’s very easy to fill up particularly when transferring a number of 4k video files across onto the device, and I’m speaking from experience here. But using a video player that streams content from the PC (over the wifi network) or cloud storage avoids this limitation. The supported software on the Mac that allow file transfers is sometimes buggy, but it works. It’s a real shame that the device doesn’t have a built-in SD card reader.

Also, I find the battery runs down quite quickly, although I have been spending a fair amount of time on it since it arrived. I’m like a boy with a new toy, as they say. I probably get 2.5 hours of play from a full charge, which annoyingly takes the same amount of time to charge it.

I haven’t got too much into the Oculus Store software yet, but there seems to be a reasonable amount of apps and content available. And no doubt the number of apps will grow over time.

All in all - I love it! Which is why I give it a 5 star rating, otherwise it would be a more accurate 4.5 stars (if this was possible to do on Amazon). The pure simplicity of switching it on and it’s ready to go… no cables and no smartphone to worry about, and the share experience of emersion it gives - it’s totally worth it in my opinion.

The main question I had - is the Oculus Go a definite improvement over from my previous smartphone-based VR experience? Most definitely yes! But even more so, it’s vastly superior!

Now that I've experienced VR this good, there's no turning back! (unless you're watching a 360 degree video of course!)

Important Note: As mentioned in the Oculus Go care page it’s important to keep the lenses away from direct sunlight when the device is not in use as it can cause sun damage on the inside screen panel. You can cover it accordingly, but what I do is place the card that tells you where to download the app over the lenses. It’s provided in the original box and fits perfectly over the lenses. I nearly threw it away. So glad I didn’t.

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