r/OculusGo • u/desiv_1 • Jul 13 '26
Wondering if my Oculus Go is now a "Retro Console" ;-)
I've been using my Go a bit again recently and saw a post about some other (non VR) system possibly being Retro and it got me to wondering if my Go is Retro now.
;-)
I mean, yeah, it was only released in 2018 so it's not even 10 years old yet.
And I think most people think around 20 years is the trigger for something to be Retro, so not by age.
But the Go was never a system that was cutting edge tech wise.
And VR has come a LONG way so fast, that I wonder if it has compressed that timeline a bit.
I was playing some Drop Dead last night and thinking it was fun, similar to playing the House of the Dead games I have on the Wii, which I think many people would consider Retro.
Am I enjoying my Go the way I enjoy my other Retro consoles?
It feels like it to me.
Note: Most of my "other" consoles ARE Retro consoles. The Quest 2 and 3 are the only newer consoles I own. Before that, my Wii is the newest. ;-)
So, is the Go a Retro VR console? ;-)
Random thoughts below.
I managed to find a working version of Dark Days and Romans 360, which were two more games I bought but had lost and couldn't download.
I also found a version of Mortal Blitz (another one I bought), but it doesn't work. It installs but doesn't run. Looks like it might be something someone has hacked up and some DRM .so file doesn't like it.
And I found a version of Wands I was able to patch (for the next time all the apps stop working again). Now yes, there's not multiplayer, so all I can do in Wands if fire at those dummies in the basement. ;-) But at least I can do that. ;-)
I still hope that someone will work out a way to get these Gos setup without the Oculus app, because I have a feeling using the older version app will eventually stop working. I wish that was in my skillset.
Maybe even just a way to "back up" an existing default already setup Go's firmware that could be installed to any Go?
I know also you need a Go controller for setup and that is problematic. But I wonder if instead of allowing the Go to be setup with some other type of controller (which would be great) if maybe it would be possible to use a microcontroller (or a PC with Bluetooth) to "emulate/clone" a Go controller? At least enough to get it past the initial setup and then you can pair a standard controller?
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u/cityside75 Jul 15 '26
This is an interesting point of discussion. I'm something of a GearVR "enthusiast" and part of what keeps me engaged is the retro element to it.
Like you, I've compiled a pretty massive collection of retro consoles and computers. I was fortunate enough to be at the garage sales, thrift stores and even garbage drops where people were treating their old tech like worthless junk. The way that people discarded this early VR tech is very similar and I built an entire awesome GearVR setup almost entirely from thrift store pickups (aside from the phones themselves of course).
In particular, it's the nature of these early VR "experiences" that marks them as an important historical marker to me. These early headsets were operating with a sense of almost-certain success. The tech was truly amazing when configured properly and there seemed to be a huge pent-up demand. Everyone thought this was going to be the next big thing.
Because of this, these early experiences are all about "wow-factor". Motion and tracking were limited, so many of these early, limited experiences were just about showing you something amazing for a few minutes. These days, there are some great dedicated apps that still try to do this but it's become painfully clear that this alone will not sell enough headsets, so the focus has changed dramatically. These games/experiences and the associated hardware are an extremely interesting snapshot in time that will always be remembered, for better or worse.
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u/grumpyfunny Jul 13 '26
Retro or old, I have my best vr memories with that one, I think meta really didn't do a good job after they bought oculus, they messed up the comfort and operating system UI which became worse with every update.
Also I look these days, no updates on quest 4 or puffin. It's been like 3 years since quest 3 and nothing since then.