To start, I was a bit of a VR skeptic; I had used mobile-based VR experiences like the Gear VR before, but I was never impressed. To say my expectations were extremely low was an understatement. This will play into my opinions a lot. Also, this review is LONG. If you want a TLDR, then look at the summary bit at the bottom. It sums it up pretty well.
Shipping:
Shipping was fast. Even with the 4th of July, it still shipped to my door in 3 days (Excluding the weekend), and the packing was as expected for Amazon. The retail box was packed very nicely into another slightly larger box, held in with closed-cell foam. (This was nice because it looks like it was dropped at some point, but only the outer box was damaged, the retail box was pristine until I got my grubby hands on it.) However, Amazon, PLEASE learn how to pack things. That box was then just loosely set into a MUCH larger box with NO padding, allowing this inner box to slide around like crazy. If it wasn't for the foam inside the inner box, I can guarantee this item would have been DOA.
Unboxing:
Now to get into the actual product, opening the retail packaging, I was pleasantly surprised to see everything nicely laid out and presented in a way that was easy to access and understand—no digging under packaging for that one random adapter, no shifting things over to find the batteries. You lift the headset and controllers out of their molded plastic holder, then everything else is in a nice little packet, just waiting to be opened. Honestly, this box should make a great storage case for those who need somewhere to store their HMD when not in use.
Setup:
One of the Rift S's strong points over other pc-powered VR solutions is the lack of lighthouses and external sensors. Because of that, the footprint and setup time are cut significantly. With the Rift S, you install the Oculus software, follow the instructions, plug in the headset when prompted, and then sit through the firmware updates and MANDATORY safety video that you CANNOT skip. (Honestly, I see why it's done this way, but it's annoying as hell.) (UPDATE: I believe they've made this skippable now.) After that, it will prompt you to put on the HMD, and then you're off. You will set up the guardian system, set your height, and then go through a very nice demo walking you through the quirks and controls of your new environment. After that, you're ready to play.
Gameplay:
Once I was ready to play, I was immediately greeted by one of the little quirks of VR gaming on the PC: Steam VR on the Oculus headsets is not natively supported, you have to enable 3rd party applications in the Oculus app. (Thankfully, Steam has a nice page showing you how it's done, and once it's set it remembers your settings.) I then loaded up Beat Saber for a trial run. Honestly, I'm impressed. Wearing the headset is comfortable, and easy to forget that it's there, and the build-in speakers are decent enough for most average listeners. They won't win any awards, they're a little tinny and lack bass, but I don't mind. There is a headphone jack for those who want a better experience but don't expect to fit any headphones over the headband. My Corsair Void RGB headset only kind of fits and is rather uncomfortable after a while. Tracking is great. I never found myself losing tracking, although it is still a little glitchy when the controller is right next to the headset, like in Pavlov or other FPS games. The screen is decent, I never found my self getting disoriented when moving my head, (although it is worth noting that for a VR novice, moving in game is rather nauseating at first) and the resolution is, again, good enough. There is definite screen-door effects, but it's easy to forget unless you're trying to read smaller text, and the LCD does show some weakness. Blacks aren't really black, but more of a grey and contrast could be improved. But I'm blaming that on the panel, as LCD tech can't achieve true black.
Summary:
Sorry for the long review. If you don't want to read the whole thing, then come down here for a TLDR. Overall, the headset is great for a first-time VR user, and even as an update (or so I hear) from first-gen VR setups like the original Rift or Vive. (Not the pro, I don't have enough info to make that comparison) The headset is light, the speakers are adequate, and the tracking is great. I would recommend this product.
UPDATE 4/15/21:
After using this headset for almost two full years, I can now say that I've become experienced enough to update this review. The Rift S still works phenomenally. the headset is still as clear and snappy as day one, with only one controller breaking. (I smashed them together and snapped the tracking ring. It still works, though!) Tracking did not hold up so well, however. After using a Quest 2, I can say that tracking is definitely buggy and tends to "drift" when the controllers hit problem areas like close to the edge of the cameras' vision. I have ordered a Valve Index, so hopefully, soon, I'll be able to say for sure if this is a limitation of Oculus's "Inside-Out" tracking or just an issue with VR in general. After experiencing the increase in pixel density on the Quest 2, I can say that the resolution is INCREDIBLY limited. For first-time users, this works well, but for anyone with experience, this would be a noticeable downgrade, even from a CV1. (Oculus is discontinuing the Rift S, so this is a moot point now, but it's still worth mentioning.) TLDR: Oculus made this headset obsolete very quickly. That makes it hard to recommend to anyone. Just buy a Quest 2.