Oculus Quest 2 Review
Innovation continues to happen in the world of VR headsets and this Oculus Quest 2 review will help to educate you on the powerful new system. The new Oculus Quest 2 features a sharper screen, a more powerful processor, and lighter design. Not only does it perform better than its predecessor, but it also comes at a lower price. It is safe to say that it is the best VR headset Oculus released so far. This Oculus Quest 2 review will cover everything you need to know to help you decide whether to get one or not.
Overview
If you want to try out the immersive experience of virtual reality, but you’re not ready to commit to a high-cost option just yet, the Oculus Quest 2 would be an ideal choice for you. It probably offers more than what you need to enjoy virtual reality at a reasonable price.
Nevertheless, this VR headset is perfect for both beginners and veterans. Aside from providing an immersive experience, the wide variety of video content and apps available will surely keep you entertained for hours.
Retaining the impressive quality of the original Oculus Quest, the Oculus Quest 2 remains battery-powered and wire-free, significantly reducing the chances of accidents as you roam around your digital environment. This VR headset allows you to use it straight out of the box as well.
Improvements
The Oculus Quest 2 has undergone some improvements to improve the gaming experience for players even more. These are the changes implemented by the developers:
- Better overall responsiveness
- Improved chipset and RAM
- Longer battery life
- Higher resolution display (50% sharper than the original Oculus Quest)
- The option to run games at 90Hz
- Hand tracking (experimental)
What You’ll Get
Aside from the VR headset unit itself, you also get two controllers that offer almost two times the battery life than before. The game library showcases hundreds of games to choose from (some of them free). From shooting games to fitness titles, everyone is likely to find something that suits their preferences.
Price and Availability
When it comes to storage, the Oculus Quest 2 gives you two options – 64GB and 256GB. The former is priced around $299 while the latter comes at roughly $399. This VR headset may not be the cheapest option today, but considering that it can work on its own, it is worth the investment. If you look forward to getting one from Amazon, the Oculus Quest 2 is available there as well.
Design
This VR headset also features a lightweight design like its original counterpart. However, its outer shell now showcases a white plastic material, which is very different compared to the former Oculus Quest’s fabric-type material. The external cameras help track your position and that of the controllers. To ensure a snug fit, you can easily make adjustments with the device’s velcro strap anytime.
The motion controllers have seen some improvements too. Probably to match the new outer shell design, the controllers now come in white. Moreover, they now offer added space that lets your thumbs rest as you play. A safety strap is also attached to each controller to prevent it from flying if you ever lose your grip.
First Time Setup
Some VR headsets require their users to deal with wires and sensors, which can be inconvenient, which is not the case when it comes to using the Oculus Quest 2. Since everything happens wirelessly, you can get into the action in just about 5 to 10 minutes.
After turning on the headset for the first time, informative clips would play to help you understand how the device works. You will then go through the process of setting up your Guardian. Some safety precautions would appear as well to ensure your safety as you have fun.
Once you accomplish this process, a floating, interactive panel would pop up in front of you. This panel will let you browse games and apps, watch videos, manage storage, and connect with your friends through Facebook. It’s important to remember that connecting a Facebook account is required before you access the headset’s functionalities.
Software and Compatibility
Currently, all Oculus Quest apps are backward compatible with the new Oculus Quest 2. Facebook stated that this could change in the future. As of now, first-generation users are allowed to access all applications.
As mentioned earlier, the developers have made remarkable improvements compared to the previous Oculus Quest. One of the most impressive additions is the 90Hz functionality because it makes things much more responsive. This feature makes the VR experience more immersive for users than ever before. It is still up to the developers whether they will implement this functionality in their titles or not.
Even though the majority of users probably plan to get a VR headset for gaming purposes, the Oculus Quest 2 can be educational. There are numerous ways to have immersive learning experiences, including videos and applications. Considering that huge improvements occur in the technology industry, fitness applications for VR headsets may be available sometime in the future.
PC Tethering
For individuals that have decent gaming PCs, the Oculus Quest 2 can be used to tap into VR experiences powered by your computer. You are only required to plug a USB 3.0 cable into your headset. After that, you can then proceed to set up the PC launcher and store where you can get the apps you like.
By working together with a decent-spec PC, this VR headset will be able to run impressive titles such as Lone Echo and Asguard’s Wrath. Playing apps from other stores is possible as well, after tinkering a little bit on your side. As of now, mobile VR is the default for Oculus since many of us don’t have a gaming PC setup.
Should You Get One?
The Oculus Quest 2 offers a remarkable VR gaming experience for everyone, whether you’re a veteran or just starting to tap into the VR world. With its wireless configuration and ease of use, encountering setup difficulties is very unlikely. If you have a decent PC, you’ll benefit from this VR headset even more, since you’ll be able to play even more games through PC tethering.