Oculus founder Palmer Luckey unveils military-grade headset

Oculus founder Palmer Luckey has announced that he is developing a new head-mounted display (HMD) tailored for both military and non-military applications. This revelation was made during a fireside chat at the 2024 Augmented World Expo (AWE). Although primarily "driven" by military requirements, Luckey emphasized the versatility of the headset for other uses. This marks a significant foray back into hardware for Luckey, who is well-known for releasing the Oculus Rift in 2012 and founding Anduril Industries, a military defense tech company, post his departure from Facebook (Meta) in 2017.

What kinds of applications can we expect from Palmer Luckey's new headset?

While the headset is primarily designed based on military needs, it will also have non-military applications, potentially including advancements in virtual reality for sectors such as gaming, simulations, and training.

Palmer Luckey is a pivotal figure in the virtual reality industry, having founded Oculus and releasing the Oculus Rift, which was a groundbreaking VR headset in 2012. Oculus was later acquired by Facebook (now Meta) for $2 billion in 2014. After leaving Facebook, Luckey co-founded Anduril Industries, which focuses on advanced military technology. Recently, he also ventured into consumer hardware with the ModRetro Chromatic, a $199 handheld device capable of playing Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges.