Touch, Oculus’ forthcoming VR motion controller, has made the rounds at the FCC, the U.S. regulatory body that certifies devices for electromagnetic spectrum compatibility for consumer usage. The appearance suggests the pre-order date for Touch is very near.
Before any company can sell a consumer product in the U.S. which utilizes any part of the electromagnetic spectrum (wifi, radio, BT, etc), it has to be certified by the FCC. Certification marks one step closer to the launch of a product.
In the case of the Oculus Rift launch, the headset was seen in the FCC the same day the company made it available for pre-order; for Oculus Touch we’re seeing the controllers before the general pre-order date is known. With the Oculus Connect developer conference rapidly approaching next week, the appearance of Touch at the FCC suggests pre-orders are very near. The actual release date and price of Touch are still not know (except for one third-party price confirmation), though Oculus has said the controller will launch by the end of 2016.
Documentation associated with the Oculus Touch FCC application suggests it was submitted on or before September 21st. As of September 30th, the application appears to have been granted.
Aside from the publicly available documentation in the application, Oculus, like many companies, has submitted a Confidentiality Request to keep the following documents out of the public eye:
- Schematics
- Bill of Materials
- Theory of Operation
- Tune-up procedure
And furthermore have asked for a period of ‘short-term confidential treatment’ extending 180 days for the following documents:
- Internal Photos
- External Photos
- User Manual
- Test Set-up Photographs
Available documentation reveals compatibility test reports for the Left and Right Touch controllers. One photo shows that Touch has a compartment in the handle which hides what appears to be a standard AA battery, raising questions about whether the device will be rechargeable.
Road to VR will be on the ground at Oculus Connect next week in San Jose to bring you the latest on the touch launch and everything else to come from the conference.
