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Oculus Quest vs. Oculus Quest 2: what’s the difference?

Oculus Quest vs. Oculus Quest 2: what’s the difference?

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Smaller, lighter, and higher resolution

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Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Facebook just announced the Oculus Quest 2, a successor to its Quest virtual reality headset from 2019. At $299 for the base model, the new beefed-up and slimmed-down Quest is $100 cheaper than its predecessor. It’s also shipping within a few weeks: preorders opened today, and it will be available for purchase in 22 countries on October 13th. Facebook will retire its Oculus Rift S next year and the original Quest supply is already sold out in many places, so the Quest 2 will soon be the only option for Oculus headset buyers.

The Quest 2 has the same basic features as the Quest. It’s a self-contained VR headset that doesn’t require a gaming PC or any external tracking sensors. It uses four built-in cameras to let people move around in VR, and it ships with two Oculus Touch motion controllers as well as limited controller-free hand tracking. The Quest 2 and original Quest share a game library, and both can be tethered to a gaming PC with a USB-C cable, letting users play more graphically intensive games that were once limited to the Rift.

But the Quest 2 has some key upgrades as well. It’s got a much higher-resolution screen and a faster processor, as well as reduced weight and a more comfortable, optional head strap accessory. As a downside, it’s the first VR headset to require a Facebook account instead of a discrete Oculus account.

There aren’t many consumer-ready standalone headsets shipping in the US, so the Quest 2 doesn’t have a lot of direct competition. But here’s how it stacks up against the original Quest, plus some competing PC-based VR headsets.

Oculus Quest 2 vs. Oculus Quest

DeviceOculus Quest 2Oculus QuestValve IndexHTC Vive CosmosHP Reverb G2
Starting Price$299$399$999$699$599
Pixels per eye1832 x 19201440 x 16001440 x 16001440 x 17002160 x 2160
Screen refresh rate72Hz at launch, 90Hz to come72Hz80Hz to 144Hz90Hz90Hz
Weight503 grams571 grams809 grams645 grams550 grams
TrackingInternal camerasInternal camerasExternal SteamVR towersInternal cameras (SteamVR with upgrade)Internal cameras
Battery capacityTwo to three hoursTwo to three hoursN/AN/AN/A
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon XR2Qualcomm Snapdragon 835N/AN/AN/A
RAM6GB4GBN/AN/AN/A
Storage64GB or 256GB64GB or 128GBN/AN/AN/A
ColorWhiteBlackBlackTurquoiseBlack
Facebook required?YesNoNoNoNo
Controller chargingAA batteries (2)AA batteries (2)RechargeableAA batteries (4)AA batteries (4)