Had it with this actuality? Then attempt one other: PETER HOSKIN highway assessments the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset
Was it this reality? Then try another one: PETER HOSKIN is testing the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset on the street
Beat Saber (£ 22.99)
The Rise (£ 22.99)
Rating: 
Star Wars: Tales from the Edge of the Galaxy (£ 18.99)
Rating:
Real VR Fishing (£ 14.99)
Rating:
This reality hasn’t been great lately so I decided to try another one – the one they call virtual reality. My portal is the Oculus Quest 2, a VR headset that came out late last year.
The selling point of this curvy piece of white plastic is that it is completely self-contained. The games are on it. It doesn’t have to be connected to a console. In contrast to other headsets, there are no cables in the way of you or your new world. It may be the perfect locking device.
The games are on the Oculus Quest 2 (pictured). It doesn’t have to be connected to a console. In contrast to other headsets, there are no cables in the way of you or your new world. It may be the perfect locking device
That’s not quite the same as saying that Quest 2 is a perfect device. It is hungry for electricity and needs to be recharged frequently. And it could be starving for more: Oculus is owned by Facebook, so you’ll need to sign in with a Facebook account.
True, £ 299 for the 64GB version (or £ 399 for the 256GB) seems like a lot to dance around in front of Mark Zuckerberg. But that’s a good value compared to other headsets and also cheaper than the new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
In addition, the Quest 2 shows how VR can become a real replacement for the traditional consoles.
See for example Beat Saber (£ 22.99). First released in 2018, this game puts you in a neon digiscape, turning the controllers in your hands into two lightsabers and letting you slice flying cubes to the beat of the block rock beats. It’s one of the masterpieces of the VR era and it feels even better on the Quest 2, with no cables to hinder your pirouettes.
And pirouettes and crouching and aiming are really what you’re going to do. Many of the games on Quest 2 are at least as physically demanding as knocking on the door of your closed gym – and certainly more rewarding. I had to stop playing The Rise (£ 22.99) Partly because I kept falling off the tropical cliffs, but mostly because my shoulders ached from the exertion.
There is a pause. Star Wars: Tales from the Edge of the Galaxy (£ 18.99) is practically a form of tourism, even if it takes place in a galaxy far, far away. There you are on the planet Batuu and can look around. My tip: ignore the bad guys who need to be shot and just marvel at the creatures flying overhead.
Or, better yet, catch the creatures swimming underwater. Real VR Fishing (£ 14.99) is technology as a tonic. There is hardly a more calming gaming experience than visiting a South Korean coast and driving out a line.
And that’s exactly what this new reality is about: travel bans do not apply. I wish you were here?
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