Iribe gave no details as to his next move, saying only that it will be a time to “recharge, reflect and be creative.”
The cancellation of the company’s next-gen PC-based “Rift 2” virtual reality product showcases how Facebook wants all-in-one headsets that don’t require a connection to an external PC or phone. Oculus released the USD 199 Oculus Go headset in May and plans to introduce the USD 399 Oculus Quest headset in the spring.
In response to questions about the canceled product, a Facebook spokesperson said that while “we can’t comment on our product roadmap specifics, we do have future plans, and can confirm that we are planning for a future version of Rift.”
The latest departure follows those of Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger in September and that of WhatsApp founder Jan Koum in May. Iribe’s fellow co-founder Palmer Luckey left Facebook in early 2017, a decision he said recently was not of his choice.
Facebook bought Oculus VR in 2014, for USD 2 billion acquisition. Iribe stayed on as CEO of the unit until late 2016, when he became head of the company’s PC VR division. Hugo Barra then left Xiaomi to become VP of VR. Facebook was last year ordered to pay USD 500 million to ZeniMax Media after a jury found the Oculus VR unit unfairly used ZeniMax code to build a virtual-reality headset.
