Oculus Quest 2 Review – Santa brought the boys a new VR headset. We are reviewing the latest virtual reality gaming system from Oculus and comparing it to the original Quest and Rift. A few highlights about the Quest 2:
Oculus Quest 2 release date October 13, 2020.
The newest VR headset offers virtual experience at home for under $300.
New redesign from the original Quest offers lighter, faster and more robust VR gaming hardware.
Oculus Quest 2 Review
Under the Christmas tree, a wrapped Oculus Quest 2 surprised our 9 and 10-year-old boys this holiday season. It’s been a gift request since their older brother purchased the Oculus Quest last year.
As much as I am sure you want to hear digital mom’s Oculus Quest 2 review, the opinions are from my 9, 10 and 15-year old boys who regularly play.
The Oculus Quest 2 offers the virtual reality gaming experience. To VR game, you no longer need a high powered computer or gaming system, because the Quest is a all-in-one.
Virtual Reality Gaming
Virtual reality gaming is unlike traditional gaming as you can feel that you are apart of the game.
While moving your body, while wearing the Quest 2 VR headset and hand controllers – you move thru-out whichever game you are playing. The experience is immersive and intense!
Oculus Quest vs Oculus Quest 2
In this Oculus Quest 2 review, wanted to make sure that you had a good idea of what the differences are when comparing the Oculus Quest vs Oculus Quest 2. We have owned the Quest since late last summer, so have had a good opportunity to grasp what we love and what can be improved.
Tethering and Game Library
Both the Quest 2 and original quest can be tethered to a gaming PC with a USB-C cable and share a game library. While there are many similarities here is what we can tell you about the differences between the original and new.
Lighter Weight
The Quest 2 is lighter – this helps reduce the weight when wearing. Quest 2 is 503 grams vs Quest weighs 571 grams.
More Ram
Want more ram? Quest 2 has 6GB vs Quest 4GB.
Screen Refresh Rate
Both Quest and Quest 2 have a screen refresh rate of 72Hz at launch, but later in 2021, Quest 2 will offer a 90Hz screen refresh rate. The high screen refresh rate will impact gaming when this is released – meaning better virtual reality gaming experience for the Quest 2.
Redesign
While both have the same rounded plastic front – the Oculus Quest 2 does feel different when wearing and thought has been put into the sweat issue created when VR gaming.
Screen Resolution
Quest 2 offers an upgraded higher-resolution screen. Quest 2’s resolution is 1832 x 1920 vs Quest’s screen resolution of 1440 x 1600.
Oculus Quest 2 review of the screen – everything looks sharper, has a higher saturation and overall just looks more crisp!
Processor Speed
With new technology comes a faster processor. Quest 2 processor is the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 vs Quest processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 835.
Oculus Quest Colors
The Quest comes in black, while the Quest 2 is white.
Facebook Account Require for Quest
In order to use the Quest 2 – a Facebook account is required. And no, you cannot create a temporary Facebook account as if you delete it – you will delete your Oculus account.
Oculus accounts will be required to be connected to a Facebook account by 2024.
Quest 2 Battery Door Design
As silly as this sounds, the Oculus team must have heard the complaints of the original Quest battery door design as the Quest 2 battery door design has been redesigned.
In the previous model, the battery door would fall off and was super annoying. This is fixed with this new redesign.
Support for WIFI 6
Good news, if you own the Oculus 2! The Oculus Quest 2 supports both Wi-Fi 6 and the 802.11ay 60GHz wireless standard. What does this mean? Well, you’ll theoretically get faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and better battery life. Sounds like a win.
Oculus Quest Pricing
The starting price for the Quest 2 is $299 which is $100 less than the original starting price of the Oculus Quest.
What’s the Same
What’s the same with the Quest and Quest 2? Both use the Oculus gaming library, can be tethered using a USB-C. The Oculus Quest controllers on both series use 2 AA batteries. The screen refresh rate is currently the same – but as mentioned, that will be changing.
Both are great wireless VR gaming systems, but if you are buying new – we recommend purchasing the Oculus Quest 2.
More about the Oculus 2
While the Oculus 2 is more affordable than the original Quest, it still is an investment. Here are some more things that are helpful to know before buying your Quest 2.
Battery Life
Like the original, you can expect 2-3 hours of game play on a full battery.
Charging Time and Cable Type
Both Oculus Quest versions use a USB-C for charging and both will take around an hour charging time for a full battery.
Motion Sickness
Virtual reality gaming is unlike traditional gaming and one thing that is common is motion sickness.
The first time I (digital mom, talking here) use the Oculus at CES a few years ago – I felt the vertigo feeling and had to stop! It isn’t as bad as technology has improved over the years, but motion sickness is still a thing.
Roblox on the Oculus
Yes, you can play Roblox on the Oculus Quest – but know that you will need to connect to a computer in order to play.
Our boys are big into Roblox so Oculus Roblox was something they were looking forward to doing. While they are still able to play Roblox on the quest, it isn’t how they thought.
Fun for All Ages
Funny story. My father-in-law, who is 70 years-old bought himself an Oculus Quest last year after playing with our son’s.
The last several months, he has been staying home and unable to fish due to the pandemic. But we learned, he’s been keeping busy fishing virtually! He plays Real VR Fishing to help past the time.
Connecting Oculus to a Computer – Oculus Link
You can connect the Oculus to a computer while playing. Oculus calls this Oculus Link.
Oculus Link does give you a boost of speed and helps with battery life. You will need a USB-C 3.0 cable and you will want it to be at least 10 feet since you will be tethered to your computer.
Another thing, make sure you have a decent video card. Our son’s computer wasn’t up to snuff, but my husband’s gaming PC was. Learn about the PC requirements and video card requirements.
Most of the VR gaming that our boys play are done without Oculus Link – unless playing Roblox (or my husband playing Half Life.)
Watch TV on Oculus
Yes, you can download the Oculus Netflix app or Oculus Sling app and watch tv on your Oculus. It’s a fun experience that definitely changes the feel of watching television.
Foggy Lenses
Something you may never have thought of is the Oculus having a foggy lens. If you live in a colder climate, you may want to wait until your Oculus heats up. If you put it on right away, the lenses will fog up. The reason why the lenses fog is because we give off heat.
Oculus Quest 2
Affordable virtual reality gaming that is fun for all ages!
Final Thoughts on the Oculus
Wrapping up this Oculus Quest 2 review, I asked my boys for what they think of their new gift. “Best gift ever.” Take it they are 9 and 10-years-old and this is the best thing to happen to them in this 2020 worse year ever.
As a digital mom – here is what I think. I love that the kids are actually sweating while playing. As mentioned, our kids screen time looks different than it did in years past. Another thing is that the battery dies! I know, this is an awful thing to include in a Quest 2 review, but this tech mom has to be honest.
The boy’s computers do not have batteries that die. The XBOX does not shut off. The Quest 2, they can only play it for so long because either they are warn out or the battery dies – both wins for this mom!
FAQ about Oculus Quest 2
We are going to answer some common questions that you may have about the Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2.
Do you have to have a Facebook account to use the Quest?
Yes for the Quest 2. Oculus is owned by Facebook and is moving to integrate Oculus and Facebook accounts. So if you have a Quest 2 – your facebook account is your Oculus account.
Do not create a temporary Facebook account! If you delete your Facebook account, your Oculus account will be deleted as well.
Do I have to have a PC to play Oculus Quest?
No PC is required to play the Quest or Quest 2. Oculus does have a virtual reality gaming system called the Oculus Rift that does run with a PC, but this is not required with the Oculus Quest series.
Does Quest require internet?
Yes and no. You can play the Quest without internet if you have completed the initial gaming headset setup and pre-downloaded games or movies that are available for offline use.
Can I charge Oculus Quest 2 while playing?
Yes, but it doesn’t look the same as playing Oculus Quest and charging the battery. There appears to be a weirdness when playing Quest 2 and charging. If your batteyr is above 80%, it stays around 80%. It has to be 80% or lower to provide constant charge.
Where can I buy a Oculus Gift Card for Oculus games?
This is the most annoying thing. For Christmas, I wanted family to be able to buy Oculus gift cards for the boys knowing they were getting this VR headset. No luck, that’s right. Currently, there is NO Oculus gift card for game.
As a lame alternative, we opted for Visa gift cards due to the lack of the Oculus gift card existence. Years ago we had this issue with Roblox gift cards.
Can you expand Quest 2 storage?
Unfortunately, no – Quest 2 storage is not expandable with no expandable memory slot. What you purchase is what you are stuck with. This is definitely something to consider when purchasing. Quest 2 is available in both 64GB or 256GB.
Are you in the Dallas area and looking for a fun family activity – that’s safe and involves interactive gaming? That’s a mouthful but worth learning about!