Oculus VR has showcased its latest prototype, Crystal Cove, at CES 2014. It has two new key features that are promised to not only be in the consumer version but claim to greatly enhance the virtual reality experience. These two features are positional tracking and low persistence.

With the original Oculus Rift devkit, the equipment only tracked orientation, such as when you move your head. This was tracked very precisely, but if you leaned forward or tried to peek around a corner in a game, that particular data wasn't tracked.

With the Crystal Cove being used in addition to an external camera tracking OLEDs on the prototype, the wearer is able to move more naturally with three extra degrees of freedom. You can lean forward or back, crouch down and look underneath things, making for a more natural and comfortable experience. Right now, Oculus is going for the optimal seated VR experience with the Crystal Cove and, as of yet, it is unknown how well it will work standing up, or indeed with something like the Virtuix Omni, a VR treadmill.