Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus, has affirmed that he is currently developing VR hardware, although his newest venture is not intended for consumer use.
Virtual reality has existed in various forms for many decades. Those who were born in the 90s may recall the bulky ‘Virtuality’ devices appearing in arcades. The current version of VR is largely attributed to Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus and the inventor of the Oculus DK1 and its subsequent versions, which can be seen as a product of his passion project.
During the AWE web series, Luckey clarified that he is developing a new VR headset that is primarily designed to meet military specifications, rather than being geared towards consumer use.
After the sale of Oculus to Meta, Luckey embarked on new enterprises. His current establishment, Anduril Industries, provides services for the US Government, particularly the Department of Defense. Their offerings encompass “unmanned aerial systems”and other defense-related goods.
The AWE video is characterized as a ‘fireside chat’ featuring Luckey, Bigscreen CEO Darshan Shankar, and moderator Stephanie Riggs.
Luckey shares in the video his beginnings in VR and the initial development of the first Oculus prototype. He also reveals that he is still heavily involved in the hardware industry and is currently working on a new VR headset.
Despite speculation that Lucky may release a rival to the Meta Quest, this is not the case. Lucky himself explained, “While it is designed for military purposes, it will also have civilian applications. It’s an exciting piece of technology.”
Despite Luckey’s lack of details on the headset, it is possible that this is due to an NDA or other security concerns, especially if the device is intended for military use. This week, Luckey also appeared on Jake Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, where he reiterated the same thoughts.
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