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
Device | Oculus Quest 2 | Oculus Quest | Valve Index | HTC Vive Cosmos | HP Reverb G2 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting Price | $299 | $399 | $999 | $699 | $599 |
Pixels per eye | 1832 x 1920 | 1440 x 1600 | 1440 x 1600 | 1440 x 1700 | 2160 x 2160 |
Screen refresh rate | 72Hz at launch, 90Hz to come | 72Hz | 80Hz to 144Hz | 90Hz | 90Hz |
Weight | 503 grams | 571 grams | 809 grams | 645 grams | 550 grams |
Tracking | Internal cameras | Internal cameras | External SteamVR towers | Internal cameras (SteamVR with upgrade) | Internal cameras |
Battery capacity | Two to three hours | Two to three hours | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
RAM | 6GB | 4GB | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Storage | 64GB or 256GB | 64GB or 128GB | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Color | White | Black | Black | Turquoise | Black |
Facebook required? | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Controller charging | AA batteries (2) | AA batteries (2) | Rechargeable | AA batteries (4) | AA batteries (4) |