It’s been a mainstay of the virtual reality hardware line-up since it was introduced in the spring of 2018, but Oculus has announced they are discontinuing the GO and focusing all their efforts on their 6DOF sets such as the Quest and the Rift. Bug fixes and security patches will continue until the end of 2022, but as of right now there will be no more apps added to the Oculus GO store and you won’t be able to buy any new sets.

So what does this mean for community safety teams who’ve recently invested in the Oculus GO?

Essentially, it’s business as usual until the end of 2022. VR tech moves on at such as pace that a three year depreciation curve on the Oculus GO was always going to be about right. So if all you’re doing is delivering 360 film via the sets, they will be supported for another two years. If you’d planned to sell your sets to offset the cost up upgrading then the residual value of the GO may be affected, but we’re still seeing trade-in offers of around £60 - or 25% of the new purchase cost. Of course, just because security patches and bug fixes won’t continue into 2023, doesn’t mean the sets will stop working overnight - it just means when they do stop working, Oculus won’t be there to help.

Finding a better alternative

One of the biggest issues for road safety teams delivering VR using Oculus GO is that they are really designed for the consumer market. For example, the soft fabric eye cushions don’t lend themselves to being cleaned and the account setup for Oculus software is built for individuals, not groups. Whilst the B2B market for sets has been developing, the Oculus GO and previous to that, Samsung Gear VR, provided a cost effective solution. However, it’s now evident that more business focused sets like the Pico G2 4K and 4Ks are a more viable proposition for community safety VR delivery, both in terms of their setup and functionality. They are built for business applications and lend themselves much better to the task of delivering road safety VR in group or individual settings.

The Pico G2 4K S key info:

Display - 4K

Refresh - 75Hz

Storage - 128gb

Kiosk Mode – Dedicate the Pico G2 4K headset to a single application for simple and focused use cases.

Handsfree Controls – No controller, no problem. The Pico G2 4K has a handsfree control option that enables easy “look and choose” selection.

Hygienic Design – Each Pico G2 4K has access to replaceable PU face inserts that are easy to clean and hygienic for mass use.

Cost - £350 per unit

For more information or to place an order, please contact us: