Oculus Rift will not block VR porn

Luckey Palmer, co-founder of Oculus VR, has stated that the team will not block X-rated content for its VR headset, the Oculus Rift. When asked at the Silicon Valley Virtual Reality Conference on Monday, about his plans regarding adult content on their device, he had this to say: “The rift is an open platform. We don’t control what software can run on it, and that’s a big deal.”

So, despite not advocating the development of VR porn, it accepts it as an inevitability for the platform. It’s refreshing to see the CEO not shy-away from the controversial issue. These remarks aren’t entirely surprising. Amir Rubin, the CEO of Sixense, a company which helps developers create virtual reality apps, says that of the 16,000 developers that they help create content for VR, only 20% are creating traditional games. Many have branched out to create health, education, and other apps.  Although it isn’t clear how many of these ‘other’ apps include porn, this content certainly a growing area within VR.

Developers who have worked on pornographic content for VR can now breathe a sight of relief, as it appears that their content will be able to reach their desired consumers without contention. Wicked Paradise, a California-based company, have been developing erotic games for VR platforms for some time. The Facebook-owned company is the first to declare its ambivalence towards X-rated for their headset. Neither Sony or Valve/HTC have stated their stance on the issue; considering their gaming focused route, the future of these devices may be less open than Oculus’, though, this remains to be seen.

For those interested to get their VR fix, whether that be pornographic or not, can expect the Oculus Rift to begin shipping sometime in Q1 of 2016.