If you still haven’t jumped onto the VR train, Oculus’ newest headset might finally tip you over the edge. The Oculus Quest 2 is set to release on October 13, starting at $299.
The Oculus Quest was Oculus’ first all-in-one headset, meaning you don’t need a PC or any other device to run the unit. It’s a solid piece of hardware and a great way to tap into VR experiences like Beat Saber, Pistol Whip, and Moss. The Quest was also a phenomenal success, so naturally, Oculus is working on a successor.
As expected, the Quest 2 is a bit more powerful than its first iteration and features a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2. Not only should games run better on the Quest 2 because each display panel is now a fast-switch LCD with a resolution of 1832×1920 per eye. If you’re not keeping track, that’s 50 percent more pixels than the original Quest. And, if you’re worried about comfort, the Quest 2 is actually 10 percent lighter than the previous model, and Oculus says that players can expect a battery life of around 2-3 hours.
The Quest 2’s Touch controllers have also gotten a slight redesign for better ergonomics and now feature a dedicated thumb rest. But you can ditch those controllers for some experiences. Oculus’ experimental hand-tracking feature will soon be coming out of beta, so you’ll be able to navigate system menus and other dedicated applications with just your hands.
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As with the original Quest, players can connect the Quest 2 to a PC using an Oculus Link cable to play more intense VR games, which were originally designed for headsets like the Rift. At the same time, the Quest 2 is completely compatible with previous Quest games, so anything you already own in your Oculus account will transfer over to the new system without a problem.
One potential downside is that Oculus Quest 2 owners will need to log into their system with a Facebook account going forward, which has raised some concern for many, giving Facebook’s track record for intrusive data collection and targeted advertising.
However, from a tech standpoint, the Oculus Quest 2 looks like a great step forward for VR, and the fact that it is launching $100 cheaper than the previous model might help the market grow. Stay tuned for our full review.
The Oculus Quest 2 will release on October 13 and cost $299 for the 64GB model or $399 for the 256GB model. Pre-orders are set to open up later today.
Source: Game Informer
