At the beginning of 2020, after extensive research, I took the plunge and bought my first VR headset, the Oculus Quest. My wife said that at Christmas I looked like a kid when it arrived. Half a year later I had enjoyed my time with the Quest so much that when the Oculus Quest 2 was announced I almost immediately ordered one in advance. The new specs had improvements that I specifically looked for in the quest. These included an improved refresh rate, higher resolution, better CPU, and redesigned controllers. But is the Quest 2 a good option for those looking to improve their VR experience or just want to get into VR?
Specifications
- MSRP: $ 299 (64GB) / $ 399 (256GB) (Oculus Store, Amazon)
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 platform
- Memory: 6 GB
- Panel type: Single fast switch LCD, 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye
- Update rate: 72 Hz (standard) / 90 Hz
- 1x USB-C
- Tracking: Inside Out, 6DOF
- Audio: Integrated in-strap (plus audio jack for headphones)
- 3 preset IPD settings
The first time you look at VR headsets, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself. What is your budget Do you have a gaming PC handy? Would you rather use inside-out tracking or outside-in? If this is your first project in VR, the MSRP for the base version of the Quest 2 is $ 299 with 64GB of onboard storage. This is great value for hardware. This headset is also a standalone product that does not require a powerful PC. However, if you want to play PC VR games, you still need one. It also uses inside-out tracking, which means there is no need to set up base stations. You can easily set up multiple play areas (guardians) around your house or quickly set up one when visiting friends / family.
The on-screen setup process is one of the easiest I’ve seen for almost any piece of hardware I use. In a few steps your Facebook account will be linked or created and you can quickly get started with the demo experience. The demo itself is amazing for introducing a user to VR. For those who are Quest users, you will quickly notice the reduced screen door effect due to the new LCD screen and improved resolution. The original Quest panel was a dual OLED 1600 x 1440 per eye, and while I’m a bit disappointed with the loss of those deep blacks that were switched to an LCD, it was worth it for the visual quality boost.
One of the announced improvements that I found most appealing was the increased refresh rate of 90 Hz. Unfortunately, Quest 2 only supported 72 Hz when it was released. Fortunately, Oculus released the v23 update in November 2020 which supported the increased refresh rate and made improvements to which included latency reduction to counteract motion sickness in VR for some users. The 90Hz now supported makes a real difference for PC VR games and the native apps that are supported by developers. It also improves the perceived responsiveness of the Quest 2 menus. Speaking of performance improvements: The new Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 CPU and 6 GB of RAM (compared to Quest 4 GB) make a noticeable difference when scrolling through the menus and when starting / running native apps.
The Quest 2 is lighter than the Quest (1.1 lbs versus 1.26 lbs) that I’ve made noticeable during long gaming sessions. There is not as much weight on the front of the headset, so there is less strain on the neck and shoulders. Unfortunately, the reduced size also caused some problems when using my glasses with the Quest 2. With the Quest, I had no problem fitting my glasses into the face surface, but I had to push them past the Quest 2 standard spongy face pad.
The standard head strap has also been improved, which is still not great, but is a huge improvement over the Quest head strap, which never fits well, no matter how tight I set it. The controllers have also been redesigned to improve gesture tracking and hand adjustment. I found them a little awkward at first, but quickly adjusted, they feel a little more bulky, and the button placement is a little different. Quest users may find it a bit customized too, but new VR users shouldn’t have any problems. I was delighted to see that the AA battery cover for each controller has also been changed to make them safer. During the search, there was a possibility that the cover would slip off when the controller was pivoted back and forth. To top it off, Quest / Quest 2 also supports hand tracking without the use of controllers, which is rather limited at the moment, and I’m really excited to see what developers do with it. There are some apps out there that already use hand tracking, but there are only a few.
Oculus also continues to improve Quest 2 with every update. The latest update has now enabled App Labs, allowing users to download apps that were previously only accessible by sideloading from a PC. A great addition for developers and users who will continue to expand the quest library.
Not everything is sunshine and rainbows for Quest 2. I was disappointed that Oculus decided to change the IPD (interpupillary distance) slider in favor of 3 preset IPD settings (1 – 58mm, 2 – 63mm, 3 – 68mm) to remove. . While either of these settings works pretty well for most users, if you’re someone like me, you might find yourself between settings 2 and 3. I managed to set the switch to be between the two, but Oculus recommends it this not this. When using setting 3, some users have reported noticing the corner edge of the LCD screen.
The other big controversy to address is that with Quest 2 you need to link your existing Oculus account to a Facebook account, or to link your new Quest 2 directly to a Facebook account. This can be a deal breaker for some users as Facebook has had privacy issues in the past that are completely understandable. If you absolutely refuse to use Facebook, unfortunately new Oculus products are not available to you. Some people hope this will change in the future, but it is unlikely that Facebook appears to be consolidating all of its gaming hardware / content onto one platform. So far, that push seems to be working, as they have now captured a large percentage of the VR market with the Quest 2 version and developers are reporting an increase in sales of apps on the headset. My best advice is that if you do decide to purchase a Quest 2 but still have concerns about using a Facebook account, you should double-check your privacy settings.
A couple of other minor nitpicks that caught my eye were that the plastic surfaces on the headset felt a little cheaper compared to the Quest. The battery life is only 2-3 hours without the backup / elite strap. The standard memory is 64 GB. Minor inside-out tracking issues and the need for accessories for an all-round enjoyable VR experience. For most users, 64GB will be more than enough right now, but bigger and bigger games are emerging that consume that space very quickly and will keep getting bigger over the next few years as more AAA developers release VR titles. During the game, I also noticed that the inside-out tracking wasn’t always tracking my hand properly when I reached over my shoulder to store items. I’m assuming this is fine with a headset with base stations as the Quest 2 has no way of tracking behind the user head. I also strongly recommend that you keep in mind that if you want your Quest 2 to be a great experience, you may be interested in purchasing a couple of accessories, which can range from $ 100 to $ 200 in total. For example, I found that prescription lenses were a must-have as they eliminated the need to wear glasses in VR and also avoided the possibility of scratching the Quest 2 lenses with my glasses.
Final thoughts
The Oculus Quest 2 is an amazing VR headset for the price and doesn’t require a gaming PC to enjoy VR. However, if you want to play PC VR games, you can connect the headset to your gaming PC using a compatible cable. If you’re ready to take a few extra steps, you can also connect to your PC using local WIFI (instructions are easy to find online). The other big advantage of Quest 2 is that it is an untethered experience and very portable, making it great for sharing a VR experience with friends / family. Playing in VR and not being tied to a cable is amazing, especially if you have a lot of leeway (Oculus recommends at least 6.5 FT x 6.5 FT space). The headset is easy to use and easy to set up for first-time VR users. Coupled with the hardware improvements, it’s a decent step up from the original Quest. While the new IPD settings may not work for a small number of users, although they can try tweaking them a bit if it’s inconvenient, one of the settings should be fine. Unfortunately, for some, the real deal breaker is the required use of a Facebook account. If you can meet the Facebook account requirements then I highly recommend the Oculus Quest 2 and with the history of update versions of Oculus, it will only keep improving over time.
The product described in this article was purchased in retail outlets from the author.
advantages
- price
- Ease of use / setup
- Self-contained / unbound experience
disadvantage
- Facebook account request
- Limited IPD settings
- Additional charges
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