Oculus used its keynote address at the Oculus Connect 3 conference to announce a new accessory for the Oculus Rift: the Oculus Earphones. These are new in-ear buds that are designed to be attached to the Oculus Rift headset as an alternative to the Rift’s current built-in earpads.
The company’s official description gives a little more detail:
“Oculus Earphones for Rift offer solid bass response while maintaining excellent mid/high levels for a well-balanced sound signature. They also include passive noise isolation to help block out distractions from the outside world.”
Oculus’ support center provides instructions that detail how the headphones actually attach and detach from the Rift headset:
To remove the audio arm:
- Locate the screw on the inside of the strap that is used to attach the Oculus headphone.
- Insert the audio tool* into the slot of the screw.
- Turn the audio tool counter clockwise (to the left) to loosen the screw.
- To detach the headphone arm, continue to turn the audio tool counter clockwise (to the left) until the audio arm releases from the screw.
- Only remove the headphone arms when you are using your own personal headphones
To reattach the audio arm:
- Locate the screw on the inside of the strap that is used to attach the Oculus headphone.
- Place the head of the audio arm into the screw and hold it in place.
- Insert the audio tool* into the slot of the screw.
- Turn the audio tool clockwise (to the right) to tighten the screw until it is secure.
* The Audio Tool is a small black tool included in the accessories box. A flathead screwdriver can also be used instead.
The Oculus Earphones will go for US$49, and will be available for pre-order on Oculus.com starting from October 10, with a view to begin shipping on December 6.