Virtual Reality (VR), long touted as the next big thing, is really now the next big thing. Trust me. The Oculus Quest 2 VR headset, which was released a few weeks ago, is stunning.
It costs just £ 299 (oculus.com/quest-2) – a steal considering the latest technology. With the “Guard” function, for example, you can “spray” a virtual play area and thus prevent you from hitting the wall. If you get too close to the boundary, a blue grid will appear, which will glow red the closer you get. And if you decide to “walk through” anyway, the four cameras mounted on the front will show you the space around you in real time, so that you don’t accidentally step on the cat.
In contrast to previous VR headsets, the Quest 2 does not have to be tied to a PC. In fact, it is essentially a stand-alone PC that you tie to your face. So you don’t need another kit, although it can be connected to your laptop – I’m writing this in VR right now. Unfortunately, the headset does not completely fill your view. It feels a bit like peeking through diving goggles – although that’s fun diving with sharks under the virtual waves.
The Quest 2 didn’t fully address the motion sickness issue that has plagued VR since launch. But the 6GB of RAM and Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 processor are a good fist for limiting the lag between what you see and what your brain thinks it should see (hence the nausea).
All of the apps created for the original Quest will also run on Quest 2. That means you can enjoy the hugely popular Beat Saber (in which you quickly cut shapes to pop music) and play mini golf and table tennis. Or just sit back in a virtual cinema and watch movies on Amazon Prime or Netflix. You might even want to read MoneyWeek in a virtual Parisian café – or why not in space? The possibilities are endless.
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