The Oculus Quest 2 is the best VR headset for most people when you factor in its comparatively low cost (starting at $ 299) and rugged features. However, will it be replaced by a newer model soon? The short answer is no, it isn’t.
Regarding the longer answer, Andrew Bosworth, Vice President of Facebook Reality Labs, provided clarity during a recent question-and-answer session on Twitter transcribed by UploadVR.
“People are also asking about Quest 3, which doesn’t exist yet, and anyone listening to us, the reporter, there is no Quest 3, there is only Quest 2,” Bosworth said.
It would be easy to fixate on the keyword “still” as it suggests Quest 3 is on Facebook’s roadmap. Bosworth is not cagey about the situation, however. While a Quest 3 may come about at some point, a Quest Pro will come first, but “that’s still a little way off.” In a bit more specific, it “won’t happen this year”.
“For those who are curious, Quest 2 will be on the market for a while – for a long time, and I think it will be the best choice for the most accessible way to get into VR and have a great experience,” added Bosworth.
In other words, if you’ve just bought a Quest 2, rest assured that it won’t be replaced with something newer and shinier in the near future. Even if a Quest Pro landed on January 1, 2022, the earliest date it could arrive without making Bosworth’s testimony, that is still more than seven months away.
Aside from the cost of entry, the other great appeal of the Quest 2 is that it is a standalone headset with inside-out tracking. This means it doesn’t need to be tied to a PC or set up base stations. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 processor and 6GB of RAM in the headset with 64GB ($ 299) and 256GB ($ 399) storage options.
It has also improved over time. A software update increased the initial refresh rate from 72 Hz to 90 Hz, and there are plans to enable 120 Hz later. Since the start of the Oculus team, the ability to play PC VR games on the Quest 2 either via a USB cable or with another upcoming software update via Air Link has also been added, which enables streaming over Wi-Fi .
The only problem with Quest 2 (and it’s a big problem for some people) is that it requires linking it to a Facebook account. However, if you can get past that, the Quest 2 is a fantastic VR headset that just gets better with every update. It’s convenient too (the Elite Strap is a total game changer). And now we know that newer hardware will soon stop replacing it.
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