Oculus Quest 2

So it arrived. Today, on the day of its UK release, my having ordered it about a month ago.

Yes, more conspicuous spending. I’ve bought an Oculus Quest 2, to add to my VR collection.

Why, when I already have an Oculus Go and an underused Quest?

Because I had heard good things about it. The graphics are better, and with a higher refresh rate, but probably not sufficient to warrant an additional purchase. But – after some initial problems – more on that later – it seems smoother and more “real” to me.

The Quest 2 is slightly smaller, and considerably lighter – by 12% – and so more comfortable to wear for longer periods.

A couple of minor downsides:

  • The original Quest had a slider control for setting IPD (the distance between your pupils) that could be set to anything from 58-72mm. The Quest 2 has just 3 settings, 58mm, 63mm, 68mm. This means that some people may be on a slightly non-optimal setting; although it should be noted that the Go had no IPD setting at all. On the other hand, the three settings are definite, with a good click. I used to find my Quest IPD was easy to change inadvertently.
  • They have also moved from the rigid head-strap of the Quest back to the fabric and velcro strap of the Go. I actually don’t mind this, as I find it more comfortable, and a rigid strap is available as an optional extra.

Some good news – when I bought my Go, I purchased prescription lens inserts, which I later transferred to the Quest. The Quest 2 has a slightly different looking lens arrangement that worried me at first, but the inserts fit perfectly.

But this was when I hit my problem – I found that with the inserts, everything was just a little blurred. If I pulled the whole headset away from my head a little, things got much better, but it couldn’t be used like that.

As I had also noted that the supplier I’d used – WIDMOvr – have a different product for the Quest 2 than the Quest/Go, I emailed them for advice. They wrote back immediately, that there was a difference with regard to how IPD is used; I may be able to use my existing lens, with the correct IPD adjustment, but otherwise I would need new Quest 2 lenses.

After some experimentation, I got it right, and everything suddenly became sharper, and perfectly acceptable. In fact, bloody marvellous! So thank you, WIDMOvr, for being helpful, and not just trying to close a new sale.

The Quest 2 comes with two memory sizes – 64Gb and a stunning 256Gb. Every review I read said that the 64Gb should suffice, but I went for the 256Gb. One of the things I am going to use this for is for watching 3D video. I still have a 3D TV, but it is not going to last forever, and it seems they are not making them any more. So even though I reckon I will be able to rip and stream, I decided to get a device that could hold a few movies, for travel. (Travel, what’s that?) And, of course, because I can afford it.

So the new Quest 2 is going to become my go-to VR headset, for gaming and for relaxing with VR content. The old Quest is going upstairs – no, not for that reason! What dirty minds you have!

I don’t have a TV in the bedroom, but sometimes I find myself wide awake at 5am, and want to watch some PrimeTV or Netflix. I can’t sneak downstairs to get my VR from the lounge, as that will disturb the dog, and I’ll then have to play with her, rather than watch some TV. So I’ve taken to keeping my “spare” Go headset in the bedside drawer, charged and ready to break out in cases of insomnia. This I am replacing with the Quest.

I’m keeping the Quest, rather than the Go, because it opens up possibilities for multi-player games at home when visiting becomes a thing again. The Quest and Quest 2 both use the same Oculus app store, which the Go doesn’t; while some games purchased for the Go allowed for the Quest to have a complimentary download, it is more common that you’d have to buy a Go and Quest version separately. So I am not planning on expanding my Go game library, which thankfully isn’t huge.

The Go is going on long-term loan to a friend whose primary interest is using it to enhance PC gaming, for which it will be perfect for.

This purchase is a big extravagance, especially since I haven’t used the original Quest as much as I’d planned to – I was playing on the Go almost every day, but the arrival of the Quest coincided with the arrival of Katie my dog, and priorities changed. But I intend to make better use of the Quest 2.

I’d better!

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