Palmer Luckey is launching a repair kit for an Oculus Rift audio cutout issue. Luckey founded Oculus back in early 2012, but was fired by Facebook in 2017.
Image from Palmer Luckey
Luckey claims the issue is caused by “eventual failure of the complex electromechanical assembly”. He describes this as a design flaw, rather than an intentional tradeoff.
He is not the first to notice the flaw. Many Oculus forums users have documented the issue for years now. User phoenixdigital even posted detailed diagrams of the possible failure points.
Image from Oculus Forums user phoenixdigital
So how can you get this kit? Well Luckey is clear that his solution should be the last resort, not the first. You’ll first need to contact Oculus Support about your issue. If you’re under warranty, they are “generally willing” to replace your headset according to Luckey. If you’re not, sometimes the issue can be software or just loose cables.
But if troubleshooting fails and Oculus Support won’t replace your headset, you then forward your support ticket to RiftRepairOne@gmail.com (along with your address) and the inventor will send you the kit free of charge.
The kit is designed so the “average PC gamer” can easily install it. It weighs around 32 grams. It can also add a 3.5mm jack to your Rift, so you can easily use external audio sources too.
So why is he doing this? It’s coming up to two years since the Luckey has been at Oculus. But the inventor was still the face of Oculus in 2016 when the Rift launched. If the Rift was being promoted in an interview, he would be the person giving the answers. He even hand delviered the first Rift in March 2016. Luckey claims he feels bad for the people who bought a Rift from him and now can’t use it properly- and this is his way of solving the problem.
When asked for comment on the Rift audio issue and whether it was fixed in manufacturing, a Facebook spokesperson told us:
“To provide people with the best experience, our team is always working to make Rift better through continued improvements to the product. Customer feedback is integral to this process, so we encourage people to reach out to Oculus Support directly if they feel like they’re experiencing an issue with their Rift.”
