Device hub · VR / spatial · Desk research

Oculus Rift S

Rift S is tethered PC VR at 80 Hz with no IPD slider on Meta’s table.

By Megg Gawat · Last verified 19 Sept 2026

Disclosure: Affiliate programs are not enrolled yet. See Affiliate disclosure. This page is manufacturer desk research, not a hands-on test — see Methodology.

Product images

Oculus Rift SPlaceholder — OEM press not licensed

Horizon’s Rift hardware table and the 2019 blogs remain the official sources. Product photos are not hosted.

Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not a Meta asset). View official product image

Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.

In short

Rift S is tethered PC VR at 80 Hz with no IPD slider on Meta’s table. It is not Quest and not original Rift’s dual OLED / 90 Hz / HDMI constellation. FOV degrees and grams are unpublished.

Who it is for

  • Owners documenting the last Oculus-branded PC headset using Meta’s still-live Horizon table.
  • Writers comparing Rift S’s 80 Hz LCD / fixed IPD to original Rift’s 90 Hz OLED / adjustable lenses.

Who should skip it

  • Standalone shoppers. Rift S needs a PC, DisplayPort 1.2, and USB 3.0.
  • Anyone who needs a published FOV degree or headset grams.
  • People who need a hardware IPD slider. Horizon: lens distance is fixed.

Key differentiators

  • Single Fast-Switch LCD 2560×1440 (1280×1440 per eye); 80 Hz; DP 1.2 + USB 3.0.
  • Inside-out Insight (five sensors on the announce post); redesigned Touch; Passthrough+.
  • Fixed lens distance on the Horizon table — the important non-number.

Caveats

  • Do not invent FOV degrees or grams.
  • 80 Hz is the Horizon supported refresh. Do not invent 90 Hz from original Rift.
  • Launch $399 is 2019 RRP.
  • No hands-on testing.

VR-category specs

Same rows on every headset hub (Vision Pro, Quest, Galaxy XR, PICO, PS VR2). FOV, weight, and battery cells quote the manufacturer footnote — they are not lab measurements.

Oculus Rift S — key specs
AttributeValueSource / note
Display typeSingle Fast-Switch LCD 2560×1440. Availability blog: improved Fresnel lensesHorizon Rift hardware table; Meta availability blog
Display resolution2560 × 1440 panel; 1280 × 1440 per eye (availability blog). Meta: 42% more pixels than its predecessorHorizon Rift hardware table; Meta availability blog
Refresh rate (OEM)80 HzHorizon Rift hardware table
Field of view (OEM claim)Not publishedCited Meta pagesDo not invent 115° or 90° from reviews.
Optics / lensesImproved Fresnel (availability blog). Horizon: lens distance fixedHorizon Rift hardware table; Meta availability blog
Chip / processorNo headset SoC. External compute required — Horizon points at Rift PC.Horizon Rift hardware table
RAM / unified memoryPC system RAM (Horizon: external compute required). Not a headset RAM SKUHorizon Rift hardware table
On-device storageNone (PC VR)Horizon Rift hardware table
Operating systemRift PC platform / Oculus PC software (2019 blogs). Not Horizon OS standaloneMeta Rift S announce blog
TrackingInside-out 6DoF (Horizon). Announce blog: five sensors; Oculus Insight; redesigned Touch for inside-outHorizon Rift hardware table; Meta announce blog
ControllersOculus Touch redesigned for inside-out (announce blog). Typical 2019 kit includes the pairMeta Rift S announce blog
Other inputPassthrough+ — glimpse of the real world without removing the headset (announce blog). Not Quest 3 color MRMeta Rift S announce blog
PC / console tetherRequired. DisplayPort 1.2 + 1× USB 3.0. Announce blog: single-cable / Lenovo co-designHorizon Rift hardware table; Meta announce blog
IPDHorizon: lens distance is fixed. No millimeter range and no slider on that tableHorizon Rift hardware tableDo not invent software IPD as a hardware range.
WeightNot publishedCited Meta pages
Passthrough / see-throughPassthrough+ (announce blog). A glimpse of the room, not full-color mixed-reality computingMeta Rift S announce blog
Eye trackingNot listedHorizon Rift hardware table
Battery — headset (OEM)Tethered visor — no headset-hour rowHorizon Rift hardware table
Battery stylePC/wall tetheredHorizon Rift hardware table
Charging (OEM)Headset powered from the PC cable. Controller charging not itemized on the Horizon tableHorizon Rift hardware table
AudioHorizon: integrated headphones in-strap and microphone. Announce blog: same integrated audio as Quest/Go, plus a headphone jackHorizon Rift hardware table; Meta announce blog
WirelessNot a wireless headset on the cited pagesHorizon Rift hardware table
Glasses / prescriptionNot publishedHorizon Rift hardware table
Platform / account lockOculus / Rift PC Store (2019). Not a standalone Quest Store bootMeta Rift S announce blog
Age / intended use (OEM)Not publishedWrite-day access note
US list price (dated)$399 USD Spring 2019 announce; available May 2019 with Quest. Not a 2026 street priceMeta announce and availability blogs
Price bandLegacy PC VR (2019 $399)Meta announce blog
Announced / introducedGDC / Spring 2019 announce at $399; available May 2019 (availability blog)Meta announce and availability blogs
AvailabilityNot publishedHorizon Rift hardware table

Oculus Rift S extras

Unique to this line or SKU. Other headsets keep the first table aligned and swap this extras list.

Oculus Rift S extras
AttributeValueSource / note
Color space (Horizon)Native sRGB/Rec.709, 2.2 gamma, D75. Default SDK color space tuned to replicate original RiftHorizon Rift hardware table
Insight sensorsFive sensors (announce blog)Meta Rift S announce blog
Co-designLenovo co-designed (announce blog)Meta Rift S announce blog
vs original Rift (same Horizon table)Rift S: single LCD 2560×1440, 80 Hz, DP 1.2, inside-out, fixed lenses. Rift: dual OLED 1080×1200, 90 Hz, HDMI 1.3, outside-in, adjustable lensesHorizon Rift hardware table

Overview

Rift S stays a hub because Horizon still prints its table next to original Rift. Sibling: /vr/oculus-rift/. Same-week standalone: /vr/meta-quest-1/.

Display and the 80 Hz row

Single Fast-Switch LCD, 2560 × 1440 (1280 × 1440 per eye), 80 Hz. That 80 is official. Do not “upgrade” it to Rift’s 90.

Fixed lenses

Horizon: lens distance fixed. That is the IPD story. Software IPD, if any, is not a millimeter range on this table.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Is this a Quest?

No. Rift S is PC-tethered. Quest 1 launched the same week as a standalone.

Can I adjust IPD?

Horizon’s hardware table says lens distance is fixed. We will not invent a millimeter slider.

What refresh rate?

80 Hz on the Horizon table. Original Rift on the same page is 90 Hz.

Official product page: Oculus Rift S. Specs: Oculus Rift S specs.