Facebook Introduces Oculus Quest 2 Standalone VR Headset

Facebook announced its updated Oculus Quest 2 VR headset, featuring a redesigned form factor, new Touch controllers, and a higher-resolution display.

Oculus Quest was a gamechanger for wireless VR, giving people more opportunities to experience VR. Now, Facebook is introducing its next-generation all-in-one VR headset – Oculus Quest 2. In addition to a new design, new Touch controllers, and a higher-resolution display, the Quest 2 is cheaper than its predecessor, at $299 USD – $100 USD less.

The Oculus Quest is now open for pre-order at oculus.com and retailers like Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart in the US; Currys PC World and FNAC Darty in the UK and EU; and Amazon worldwide. The device starts shipping on October 13.

Quest 2 is powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ XR2 Platform, offering higher AI capability, and 6GB of RAM. The Quest 2’s new display offers 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye, bringing 50% more pixels than the original Quest. Furthermore, the increased graphics processing power brings support for a 90 Hz refresh rate.

You will be able to run system applications like the Home Environment, Explore, Store, Browser, and Oculus TV, at 90 Hz right away; all you have to do is opt in through the device’s Experimental Features. 90 Hz will also be available to all developers after launch.

Quest 2 features new Touch controllers inspired by the original Touch design, offering better ergonomics, but the same intuitive controls. Controller tracking has also been optimized to make it more efficient, offering a battery life that’s up to four times longer than the previous model’s controllers.

You’ll be able to access upcoming games like Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge, Myst, Jurassic World Aftermath, Warhammer 40,000 Battle Sister, Pistol Whip: 2089, The Climb 2, Rez Infinite, and others, while Quest 2 is also compatible with Oculus Link. This lets you enjoy PC VR games like Asgard’s Wrath, Stormland, and Lone Echo, and upcoming games like Lone Echo II and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond.

Quest 2 is also slimmer, lighter, and therefore more portable. It also offers three IPD adjustments, letting users adjust the lens position for better visual comfort. A range of accessories will also be available to the device, like the Elite Strap with Battery accessory, or the Fit Pack, which lets users with wider or narrower face shapes use the device more effectively.

Facebook announced its updated Oculus Quest 2 VR headset, featuring a redesigned form factor, new Touch controllers. and a higher-resolution display.

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Facebook also announced the full focus on standalone VR headsets from now on. As such, the company will no longer “pursue PC-only hardware,” therefore, its Rift S devices will stop selling in 2021. However, the Rift Platform itself isn’t being dismantled. Facebook says it has “seen significant growth in PC VR via Oculus Link, and the Rift Platform will continue to grow while offering high-end PC VR experiences like Lone Echo II and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond well into the future.”