Facebook Inc. is going for another try at turning its Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset into a mass-market phenomenon by unveiling the wireless device that (is believed) will popularise VR the way Apple did with smartphones.

Currently, there are two types of VR hardware: cheap headsets that turn smartphones into VR players and high-end gaming rigs that hook up to US$1,000+ desktop computers. With the new headset, Facebook is hoping to bridge the gap and design a device that will sell for as low as US$200 and would not need to be tethered to a PC or phone. According to the people that are familiar with its development, the headsets will begin shipping next year and promises to represent an entirely new category.

The device is expected to resemble a more compact version of Facebook’s current Oculus Rift and will be lighter than Samsung’s Gear VR headset. However, the design and features aren’t finalised yet and could still change. What might not change is the idea that a person could simply just pull the headset out of their bag and watch movies with it on a flight. That would be cool.

Source: Bloomberg
Image: VR Heads