Meta Quest 2 - Advanced All-In-One VR Headset - 256 GB

This is the first time I have owned a VR headset and so I cannot compare this to other models. For the price I feel it is a great ‘entry level’ into the VR world. So far I am delighted with it! Yes, you have to link it to a Facebook account. For me, I just don’t care about this. You can choose your privacy options and I just selected I didn’t want to publish what I was doing on my Facebook account. In regards to ‘data mining’, again I just do not care. I have had my 256Gb Quest 2 for three weeks now and I have had many hours of fun playing it. My girlfriend has also enjoyed watching me (using a Google Chromecast casting to our TV), especially the excellent game Five Nights at Freddie’s which is terrifying to play. I do have issues with the casting, as there is a (roughly) 0.5s delay between actual audio/visual gameplay and what is transmitted to the TV, but I understand this will be an issue when wirelessly casting data like this. The games I have downloaded are great fun. These include Beat Saber, Pistol Whip, Robo Recall and Five Nights at Freddie’s. You really get lost in the VR environments and it reminds me of the kind of arcade games I grew up with in the 90s (except ramped up 1000x). I do wish there were more Horror games though, as I feel that these are particularly fun to play. After much deliberation I chose the 256Gb version over the 64Gb. My reasoning being I would rather have too much space than too little. The games tend to be between 800MB - 5/6GB, however I expect newer releases to be closer to the latter. I have found the battery life is probably around 2 hours with intense play, although I’ve never timed it. This hasn’t been an issue for me as after about 30mins to an hour I’m mentally and physically exhausted. I think the worst features of the headset are the foam facial interface and the strap that come as standard with the product. The facial interface isn’t particularly soft/spongy and after 20-30mins it starts to ache around the forehead. I think this is in part due to the material but also because of the cheap (cost-saving) strap. The strap works, but it doesn’t provide a comfortable fit and, as with other reviews, it does tend to put pressure on the tops of the ears after a short while. Today I received the Elite Strap with battery pack and the difference is incredible. I would definitely recommend purchasing this as an add-on. I will be reviewing this separately. I will also be buying a different facial interface, probably from VRcover.com, when one is available. Overall I think this is an excellent entry-level VR headset (although specs-wise, this isn’t entry level), based upon my limited VR experience. Hardcore VR users may disagree. For the extra £120 I think the Elite Strap with battery pack (and case) is worth the money. The strap, at least, is essential to improve comfort. In terms of the 64Gb vs 256Gb, this will depend on your preference and whether you think £100 extra for quadruple the storage is worthwhile. Obviously when you add up these ‘extras’ the headset suddenly isn’t quite as cheap as you would hope.

There's been a lot of attempts at VR over the last 30 years, and I've had a play with all of them, but none were particularly compelling. The barn door effects, the sense of disorientation. Nothing quite grabbed the promise and delivered. The Quest 2 is the device that finally has what it takes to gain broad appeal. Firstly, the price is just insane. Then is the ability to not only act as a competent tethered device (not significantly inferior to the vastly more expensive Valve Index or HP devices), but to offer truly untethered, wireless, wonder. The inside out tracking makes setup a breeze (no installing multiple 'base station' detectors anywhere, just stick it on your head and get going. As a first-time user, you are immediately acquainted with the guardian feature, where you set your room boundaries. This may be a safety feature but it immediately sets the tone of what is to come. It demonstrates the comforting "pass-through" feature that gives you an otherworldly black and white view of your surroundings that is surprisingly effective and well-aligned. Moreover, it confirms the accuracy of the tracking going on, inspiring confidence. After setting up your guardian boundaries you are taken to a relaxing 3D home (customisable) and walked through a comprehensive and enjoyable setup. I highly recommend going through the First Time users app and dancing with the robot! The home immediately transforms you with the immersive 3D soundscape that is magical for a device that doesn't even place speakers over your ears. Clever engineering reflects the sound into them with such precision that you can hardly tell you are wearing a headset. Despite that, it is more than sufficient to drown out background noise without leaving you feeling disconnected. There are still ways to go with the optics, untethered graphics and resolution, and there are better headsets out there, but your casual user will not notice such things. None of them allow you to just stick the device on your head and get going, and that freedom makes this the benchmark for all future devices. If better textures matter you can always get the Oculus link and tether it to a hi-end gaming PC. What really matters though, is the promise that this device holds. With that promise, I have no doubt that the 2020s will be the decade of VR.

Some general advice: Clarity is amazing on the device providing your eye position is on the sweet spot; blurriness and astigmatism does happen if the headset drifts. Elite strap helps with the stability and weight balancing (would wait until they fix their current issues though). There are 2 types of lenses used in manufacture. Make sure the lenses have a crystal like shine to them and the lines within are not just white when a torch is shined in. Look for blemishes and scratches. Don't play with the hinged sides too much as a friend says it caused the speaker to start buzzing when loose. Don't constantly pull out the cushion interface frame as it has been known to fitigue and come off easily woth overuse. Quality control is not great I've heard but if this is your first headset, its still an amazing experience regardless; chances of getting a dud is low looking at the reviews. Very pleased with the headset otherwise; I put the warnings first as I feel people will assume the product to be hardy but extra care is required for longevity. Games on the Quest are expensive, so would wait for sales events. Browsing the internet and watching movies feels like being in a cinema, uses are very diverse especially with the ability to play PCVR games with air link providing your PC is VR ready.

Fantastic vr set and amazing value for money my brother has just ordered one aswell lol. Highly recommended set I bought elite strap and a case for this aswell highly recommended an elite strap pack as the elite strap is very comfortable. Battery is decent 3hours with a full charge or less depending if gaming or watching movies. Very happy with product. Make sure you have a Facebook account for this headset to log in to set it up. UPDATE... APPARENTLY NO FACEBOOK ACCOUNT IS NEEDED ANYMORE whoppie lol also don't forget to get some amazing games from Applab on sidequest to help along your way for vr may i reccomend spark ball pool FREE ON APPLAB and PAVLOV also AIM XR all free through applab. The vr set is very very sturdy crystal clear screen and games look fantastic. Meta quest 2 is a must have for any vr gamer and with great games lined up on the way like Gta san andreas I CANT WAIT on vr and resident evil aswell as sniper elite all on vr what you waiting for. Still the cheapest standalone vr headset no wires needed at all to play strap your controllers in and play away.

I pre ordered and received on release day, after having it for a few months I feel I can write a decent review. I bought this for gaming and had played around a bit on the first Quest but not long enough to really get to grips with it. Very impressed, you have a huge amount of social and communication options, not only is it great for gaming but also most social activities and in lockdown, it really does come into it's own. You can watch films together in the Big Screen app (virtually sit in a cinema with friends or family), you can do activities, play games in Rec Room or other similar apps, have a meeting, go fishing, fitness, the list is really endless and great fun to actually see the person you know, move and react in this environment. It can also be utilised for work as well which would make it mega fun and a great way to communicate in a meeting. Definitely some great options to assist all types of people struggling to communicate better in lockdown. From a gaming perspective, there's a good choice of games which is growing almost daily. The User Interface is easy to use and fairly similar to the Xbox, pretty easy to get around. Oculus have recently made it easier for independent game developers to publish third party games onto their store which is great, it means that games are only going to get better in the long term. The graphics are decent enough for the money, I would liken it to the Nintendo Switch quality, easily good enough and when you experience it so close up and you're immersed into what you are doing, it's very convincing. Multiplayer options like Echo VR, Blaston, Arizona Sunshine are fantastic playing side by side with your friends in multiplayer, it's such an awesome experience. Battery life is decent but you can easily connect a portable battery to the unit with a third party strap and case to the back of the head or belt line, which I have now done and gives you hours and hours of extra playing time. Probably more than you need! Battery life on the controllers is excellent, for what you get from one double AA battery in each controller is pretty impressive ! Probably about 50 hours gaming time. The head strap itself is okay for short periods but a little more could have been spent on this to make it more comfortable. The Elite strap is well worth getting, otherwise your head feels like it's being pressured around the back after a while of using. You also get a glasses attachment that sits in just before the lens, this is really useful as just provides enough space for you to have your glasses on. The whole 'sickness' thing doesn't affect me too much but it can with some people who suffer with travel sickness or vertigo type problems. The Rollercoaster app/game does set me off after a while but nothing else really other than that. Also love that you can cast what you are seeing through the Oculus, on to the TV, tablet or phone. You can do this via the Oculus app on a phone or tablet, or you can cast it to a Chromecast or similar streaming device to a TV, which is great as then it becomes even more social for people that are with you. Overall I would say totally worth the £399 for the 256gb, if you're spending that kind of money then the £100 to upgrade from the 64gb version seems like a no brainer.

This review will follow the same format as my previous review on the Oculus 2 and comparisons will be made, though I will cater for those who are unfamiliar with the the Quest and / or VR too. My Oculus Quest 2 256gb arrived a few hours ago. I swore to myself I do my work, though I found myself opening it within half an hour or so and there I was again experiencing the virtual world ironically within a world which is currently in chaos. ———————— UNBOXING / HEADSET The box (pictured) comprises of a cellophane wrapped outer sleeve covering a nice looking natural coloured box (pictured) with a liftable lid. It feel like quality of reminiscent of Mac products. Inside the box, in their own neatly arranged compartments are the headset, the controllers, quick start guide and USB 3 cable and power supply in a small box and a spacer to place on the unit for those who wear glasses. Picking up the headset, I could feel that it was quiet compact - notably smaller to the previous Quest, but this was largely due to the fact that the rigid, rubber head strap has been replaced by a fabric one. In light of this fact, I actually feel like the Quest 2 resembles that of the Quest Go since this also had a fabric strap. With that point in mind, the Quest 2 headset (being a smaller unit too) feel like a Go / Quest hybrid. Not only does the headset feel light, but smaller and a lot more easier to handle. The fabric strap might be seen as a cheaper solution, but I think it’s a much more effective one, especially when factoring in comfort, since it is, without question, a lot more comfortable than the previous Quest. This is perhaps largely due to the fact that the unit isn’t as heavy. A heavy headset would demand something more than a fabric strap, so this is something Oculus have managed to escape. There’s an ‘Elite Strap’ available for the Oculus 2 at £49 and I was going to purchase it for delivery with the Quest 2, but having felt how light and comfortable the unit is, I don’t feel any need for this at all. Perhaps those people who play high paced games might find use for it however. There’s a version at £119 which offer a battery mounted version to extend battery life (plus a carry case), so I do imagine this to be useful, particularly for those people who play on the move and / or wish to avoid being wired in. EDIT: Having used for hours now, the side bands sometimes saw into the tops of my ears which is a slight irritant, but excusable. The nose bridge of the Quest 2 is considerably tighter and can be felt more, but this comes with the advantage that it block out more light, thus adding to the immersiveness. The colour of the headset (and controllers) isn’t white as I initially assumed - rather a very light grey. The surround looks white when remove from the box, but this is in fact a paper covering which is removed. Overall the headset, besides feeling compact, has a better feel due to more pleasing curves. The front is like a rounded bean shape, featuring no level surface area. The unit is fully plastic ridding of the previous material sides of the previous Quest which gathered grime and sweat. Similar padding is present however though there is less of the foam in comparison to the original Quest. The Quest 2 substitutes half of that previous foam with a plastic adjoining the headset and foam. It’s an improvement to minimise foam, but I feel rubber is best utilised for both its durability and waterproof quality. I do think that soaking sweat might actually be part of the idea, much like a headband however… The headset features the power button at the right hand side (whilst wearing), the a USB 3 (charging and PC data) at the left hand side together with a 3.5mm jack for headphones. A volume rocker button features at the bottom right of the unit. ——————— TOUCH CONTROLLERS Holding the first controller in my hand, I could tell that it too was larger. Even as a person with large hands, I did question if this size was necessary, especially considering that many suers will have smaller hands than myself. Nonetheless, it may just be a matter of time in order to get used to them, being accustomed to the smaller Quest controllers. Buttons are further apart and the top face, previously a teardrop shape is now circular and features a place where the user can rest their thumb. As before, we have a ‘Y’ and ‘X’ buttons and thumb controller on each, including an Oculus button to recalibrate and return to the home screen. There’s also a ‘thumb pad’ in which to rest your thumb on which seems somewhat unnecessary in my eyes - or at least not a good reason to extend the top face. The grip is different in reflection of the size difference and reportedly the triggers are ‘easier to use’ though they feel the same as the Quest to me - good quality and they do the job. The controllers thankfully still take an AA battery in each one and they come installed with one. Simply slide out the plastic tabs and the batteries make their connection and the controllers are ready to use. Apparently greater attention was given to ensure that the battery compartment slider doesn’t slide off during frantic gameplay as it supposedly did with the Quest, though this never did happen to me. Most notably in the specs, ‘Haptic Feedback’ is stated as a feature in which the rumble function in the controllers is meant to be more dynamic differentiating between a figurative finger tap in contrast to a clash of swords. I’m yet to experience a difference here, but reminding myself, I will be more aware of report back. —————— STARTING UP ***SPOILERS*** Switching on the headset I was greeted with the introduction which shows graphics / animations pertaining to button use and Oculus Guardian setup. For those unfamiliar with VR, Guardian setup is a virtual line which is draw around the room (with the controller) with the threshold set at point where you might bump into things. At this point, I feel it was at least half of the ‘moment of truth’. Immediately I was judging the graphics at this point (explained below), but wasn’t overly impressed. After setup I found myself in the default Environment and the first thing I noticed is that the dashboard and everything else is much smaller. Controls and navigation has changed too and not for the better in my opinion. I’m sure I will get used to this, but I was just appreciating how good the huge console was on the previous Oculus. The controls are mere symbols now without text, so as a new user you’d have to go by trial and error rather than knowing what you are pressing. I’d hope there is a setting to make this otherwise. The previous Quest segued into a great little game which demo’ed the systems capabilities after the setup. It’s a shame that the Quest 2 didn’t do similar, though they may do that in the future. ————— IMAGE QUALITY There are going to be two distinct people with regards to how image will be judged. First there are those who will compare against the Quest and those who will just be amazed as a first time VR user. Some might say that Quest users have already been ‘spoiled’ but it’s still ultimately a matter of how the Quest technology has improved. So, the burning question is; Did the quality of the image blow me away as a previous Quest user? …..to which the answer is a definite ‘no’. Firstly, the setup screen (mostly white and pastels colours) wasn’t giving me enough imagery to judge, though my opinion still remains the same having ventured in. Next, I observed blur - mostly at the sides and then cam the revelation that the lenses could be adjusted after reading the cardboard tabs I’d removed containing the instruction to do so. There’s a 3 point adjuster in which you grab one (or both) of the tense which move together through a range of 3 positions. The good news is, the lens adjustment did help to relieve a 50% of the blur, but on the other hand, the position of the lenses to which my eyes witnessed this (at the far extremes - right and left) causes black ‘walls’ at either side. Pulling the lenses inwards makes it look like you are looking out of a porthole (as many are used to). So, the ultimatum I have is to have 50% less blur viewing the ‘walls’, or put up with the blur whilst looking through the ‘porthole’. For now, I’ve chosen the latter. This may just be a consequence of offering adjustment options (it may be a blessing for some). At the extreme lens settings there was also a notable central glare across all colour backdrops. With that issue aside, to allow fair judgement, I put on my previous Oculus and observed the difference. The Quest 2 in COMPARISON is notably better, even with the blur issue present. So, I feel that is the conclusion. Previous Quest users will notice the difference probably not initially but when they do a comparison. I’m glad I didn’t sell my Quest too too to allow me to do this and appreciate the difference. Granted, some may notice the difference right off the bat. The Oculus 2, much like the one before it, features 4 cameras on the front of the headset used to track the controllers. There is also an option to view your real surrounding whilst the virtual graphics are placed on top i.e Augmented Reality. I was very surprised to discover that despite the potential of AR, they still hadn't brought these cameras up to an acceptable resolutions - only the same poor resolution needed for controller tracking alone. Colours are as vivid as the Quest - rich and pleasing. The Oculus 2 is 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye (50% increase in resolution over the original Quest). EDIT: Having played for a good few hours now, I can say with confidence that this is a significant improvement in the graphics department....viewing object CLOSE UP. This here is the clincher for all VR clarity. The very limit of the graphics are show when you look at things right next to the eyes, sync as holding up a weapon in a game. I noticed this in a big way when I bought and played Walkabout Mini Golf and viewing the course and it's detail from a birds eyes view. Absolutely intriguing. Crisp as 4K! There's no question about it, we've reached a level of normal displays where we can beat our our retinas (hence Apples 'Retina' monitor) however we still need that ongoing advancement in technology to make things in the middle / background crisp too! ————— SOUND Crisp, clear and quality. I did feel that it was better than the Quest sound quality, though it was up full volume whereas I usually listen at half that volume. Still, there seems to be a slight improvement. Highs, low and midrange are on point, making experiences aurally immersive. I will be experimenting with my Sennheiser 650 headphones soon too. —————— APPS & GAMES / PERFORMANCE Being a new system, the cupboard was bare with regards to downloaded titles, but there was plenty on offer to download besides my older catalogues of games which I was pleased to see. When the Quest launched, there was only around 8 games, so those entering into the Quest 2 scene will do so at a good time since there’s plenty on the store now and there’s a lot of free content to enjoy too. Even in the virtual space, the head tracking is noticeably better. Even though i noticed no latency with the Quest, there is just a level of quality to the movement which is difficult to describe. Basically it’s just a greater sense of reality. I expect this feel to perhaps increase, at least in high speed apps and games when the refresh rate is increased. Facebook have revealed that it’s currently set at 72Hz yet will be increased up to 90Hz. Before I bought a Quest 2, I asked around YouTube to ask whether my apps and games purchased for the Quest would be carried over to the Quest 2. This was confirmed on the condition that I linked / merged my Facebook account to my Oculus account, which I did. As mentioned, all my games was there and I download a good few of them at lightening speed but was gutted to discover that save games are NOT carried over. I had hopes of continuing my vast progress on Mini Moto Racing X, but this is seemingly not to be. Nonetheless, open opening Mini Moto Racing X and the graphics are notably most crisp and the experience was improved overall. I found myself glancing around the environment actually delaying the race just to appreciate it (after viewing on the Quest 20 mins previous). Next I tried out Pistol Whip and put not only the graphics to the text, but also the head tracking which improved the game considerably. The improvement in the graphics could be seen even from the menu screen and bettered itself as the game continued. One prominent feature of the Quest 2 is its ability to be hooked to a PC. My only intention is to play independently though I would have tested for the sake of my review, though I’m strictly a Mac user at present due to work. The refresh rate of the Oculus Quest is up to 90Hz The launch refresh rate is 72Hz EDIT: Besides my previous games, I’ve bought and played Walkabout Mini Golf and it’s the most realistic thing (besides table tennis) that I’ve witnessed to date. It feels like a proper game of mini golf. The physics are absolutely spot on. I’ve also experience RezInfinite and was blown away, literally saying ‘wow’ - completely unlike me. —————— FINAL THOUGHTS As a previous Quest owner, I’m pleased with my upgrade. Due to the fact that saved games are not carried over however, I will still be keeping the Quest for now, since I’ll have to play my games on that system. As a conditioned VR user, in light of these ‘walls’ and ‘porthole’ that I mention, I do hope that more focus is placed upon trying to increase the field of view. I don’t know anything about the technicalities and problems relating to making this happen, but I feel ridding of those ‘sides’ is going to bring immersiveness well into the next level. What's more, the front cameras could easily be a much better resolution to open upon potential and future proof augmented reality. As far as I'm aware, those aren't special cameras and cameras in this day an age are not expensive, so to have a VR headset boast AR capabilities too shouldn't be too much to expect. For those entering into VR for the first time, or even from something like the Oculus Go which only tracks a hand movement, there’s probably no better way than to enter in than via the Oculus 2. You’re getting the full VR experience in which you can roam around a room, you’re getting great visuals and what’s more, you have access to a load of titles, whether it be experiences (apps) or games that you are interested in. If you’re on the move, or like to have many apps and games available to you quickly and easily, you may wish to consider the 256GB version for the extra £100. Most importantly, if we consider that fact that apps will become larger and larger in file size, it’s a future proof option. If you are just dipping in your toe as a first time user however the 128GB might serve you fine. As mentioned, I think it’s a ‘quest’ for technology to eventually yield graphics that are as crisp in the middle and background as they are ‘up close’ and I really look forward to that. Virtual Reality is going to become astronomical. It’s great to be part of its advancement. The Quest 2 is up there with the best hardware in which to currently experience it! —————— Advantages * Objects 'up close' are near 4K crisp * Room-scale freedom (as in the original Quest) * PC Connectivity though no PC required * Haptic Feedback (yet to witness) * Vast range of titles on launch * Greater feeling of being in a ‘reality’. * Sharper image with much greater feel of depth * More responsive head tracking * Much more comfortable & easy to fit * Good battery life * Charges quickly enough (approx 2.5 hours) Disadvantages * Front cameras still a poor resolution marring Augmented Reality potential * Lens adjustment results in ‘walls’ at extremes * Lens adjustment results in central glare at inners * Side straps saw into ears * Physical games cause the padding to soak in sweat * Facebook account is required

My friends say I buy too many gadgets. I do. However, this is one of my best. I bought it after seeing Beatsaber and my word, it does so much more. Some great games, Beatsaber, Topgolf, Darth Vader, Fishing, Superhot, Saint and Sinners and I've not even tried Half Life yet. Google Earth, go anywhere in the mapped world! 3d Movies, absolutely superb, I hate 3d in Cinemas...this is excellent. Streaming my PC to the Oculus wirelessly, perfect. And more to come I am sure The sound without headphones is really impressive around the ears, what they do with directional sound in amazing. Not very bassy but if you want to play and hear your friends or the front door bell, it's perfect. I almost regretted buying the 256GB version but now I rip 3d movies to it, it soon fills up. The fact they used Android to base this thing on was the best thing Facebook could have done. There are so many mods to do, it becomes really multiuse. The fact I can throw it in a case and take round my friends to play, awesome and the main reason I bought one. Fantastic. One slight drawback, battery power. Buy a pack or a long charging cable or VR games parties round your friends don't last long!

I wanted to get into VR as it’s definitely a growing market in gaming with loads of awesome games now, but the my PC isn’t fast enough to support a wired VR headset like the Rift. Making the Quest a very nice option as a first time VR experience and making it very portable to use as my room has limited space so being able to take it into any space I like (just not outside in the sun) is pretty cool. First time use was good with setting up my Facebook account and loading up the Oculus demos to get adjusted to VR. If anyone is reading this and is thinking of getting any VR set and you have glasses. Please use the glasses spacer provided in the box, I stupidly assumed because I was near sighted that I wouldn’t need that and my eyes would be fine looking at a screen closeup. I was so wrong, just by putting on my long distance glasses the screen was instantly sharper and I could focus on 3D objects much better. I should have done it from the start so don’t do what I did! I get why people complain about the strap that is included with the Quest and I’ll say it isn’t that bad. Sure it doesn’t offer the best comfort of secure ness on your head for the quest but they had to cut a cost somewhere right. For me, i haven’t found it unbearable and haven’t seen a need to upgrade to the elite strap. Maybe in the future I’ll get one and look back on the pain the original strap caused unknowingly. PCVR does work well with the headset. I can’t say too much on it though as my pc can barely run VR titles. However, if you don’t want the official oculus cable as it is so expensive. Their are plenty of alternatives on this site which will do fine at a much lower cost. The 4K screen does make for a very clear and fun experience with bring the reality of the game world closer. The IPD adjustment is limited though to three options so anyone with a specific liking that is not an option here might find it a deal breaker if you already have a Rift or Quest 1. The battery life is short. Running a VR capable PC on your face does not make it surprising that even playing beat saber which is not a demanding VR title will last you to 2 - 2 and half hours. Oculus does sell the elite strap with a battery pack included to extend that to 5-6 but there are ways to extend it with your own battery pack and a simple hack of Velcro attachment or keeping it in your pocket while playing. I would recommend looking up what batter packs are best for the quest and the different methods of ensuring the battery is not damaged in the short term. Overall, I Would definitely recommend for a first timer or experienced VR enthusiast if you want portability and decent performance that doesn’t come at a ridiculous cost. Yes this might not have all the VR capabilities some people may want, but if your like me who doesn’t have a BR capable PC but still wants the experience than I would definitely give this a look!