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Oculus' giant Core 2.0 update is available to everyone
After spending ages in development, Oculus' Rift Core 2.0 interface is rolling out to everyone. The new front end turns into more of a social space, including more 3D objects (such as custom models and unlockable rewards) and eight-person get-togethers for watching shows or simply hanging out. You'll also see a new virtual desktop (above) that helps you quickly access your PC's conventional apps.
Oculus' major Core 2.0 update officially arrives in October
Amid a string of announcements at Oculus Connect 5, including the standalone Oculus Quest headset, Facebook revealed some updates to the Rift Core 2.0 platform, which is moving out of beta and will be available for everyone in early October. If you don't want to wait, you can access it through the Public Test Channel starting Wednesday.
Oculus Rift requires Windows 10 for new features
When Oculus upgraded its system software to Rift Core 2.0, currently in beta, it added a redesigned Home experience, multitasking for apps and windows in Dash and mirrored Oculus Desktop monitors. These are heavy-resource features, according to Oculus, and need Windows 10 to support them. That's why the company is recommending Windows 10 across the Oculus platform (Rift, Touch and core software). You can still use Windows 7 and 8.1, but you won't get the new features as they appear.
Oculus' reworked VR interfaces will be ready to test in December
If you happen to have an Oculus Rift headset and want to try its big interface makeovers, you won't have to wait long. As promised, Oculus has confirmed that both its Rift Core 2.0 VR interface and the companion desktop app redesign will be available in public beta form sometime in December. Rift Core 2.0 is unsurprisingly the most conspicuous update -- it's reworked to center around Oculus Touch control, and adds a dashboard you can access from virtually anywhere. You can use Rift 2.0 on Windows 7 or later, although you'll need Windows 10 if you want the dashboard to overlay on top of running apps or to give your desktop apps a virtual display.
Oculus redesigns the Rift interface for Touch and customization
From the stage at Oculus Connect 4, Oculus' Nate Mitchell just announced Rift Core 2.0. It's designed around Touch, offering a motion-control-focused interface that apes a lot of what hackers have been doing with BigScreen. The big addition is Dash, which as its name implies, is a dashboard accessible from within any VR app or experience. It lets you use your desktop apps within VR, too. "It's a total game changer," Mitchell said. You can permanently pin something to the dashboard, too. "Every application can have its own virtual display," Mitchell said.
