The level of consumer demand for virtual reality (VR) headsets has been growing over the past few years, and that is largely down to the efforts of Oculus/Meta. There is little dispute that it was the Oculus Rift headset that revived interest in VR at a time when many had more or less abandoned hope in it.
There has always been a strong desire for VR to work, particularly among gamers, as the idea of effective virtual reality gaming is very exciting. Therefore, the impact that devices like the Rift had on gaming sites is not so surprising.
And with the rise of online casino gaming, providers like Casino 777 are looking at ways to implement VR gaming to their casino games to create immersive new fantasy gambling scenarios. That prospect looks even closer now thanks to headsets such as the Meta Quest 2.
It is one of several reasons why a Quest 2 headset should be at the top of your shopping list this year.
About the Oculus/Meta Brand
Oculus is owned by Facebook, now Meta, and it is seen by many as the frontrunner in the virtual reality sector. It is certainly not the only game in town, as the likes of NineHertz, HQSoftware, HTC, Pico, Microsoft and Samsung are all designing or have designed quality VR equipment, but the Oculus brand is still the one that many people think of.
That is largely because the launch of the Oculus Rift was such a high-profile event that reached outside of the hardcore tech media into the mainstream. Its creator and founder of Oculus, Palmer Luckey, was also a prominent media figure and someone who became very closely associated with VR developments.
Luckey is no longer involved with the company, but Oculus has continued to drive the VR sector forward and there are key features of the Quest 2 that make it worth your money.
Key Features of the Oculus Quest 2
- Standalone headset
- High-resolution screen display
- RAM of 6GB
- 120Hz refresh rate
- Affordable price
One of the major selling points of the Quest 2 is that it is a standalone headset rather than a tethered one. That is a significant step forward for the brand and offers much greater freedom of movement when playing VR games than you can get with even the best-tethered headset.
It also comes with several upgrades on the first Quest release, including RAM of 6GB rather than 4GB and 50% more pixels, for superior image resolution. What is even more striking is that this improved functionality was available for less money than the earlier Oculus Quest headset.
There are two versions of the Quest 2 in shops, with the cheaper one retailing at $399 and the other at $499. The only real difference between them is the storage, with the more costly one having 256GB compared with 128GB, so you can download a lot more apps and games on it.
Both are less expensive than the recently announced Meta Quest Pro, which is also compatible with the entire Quest library of apps and games but retails at an eye-watering $1499.99!
The Meta Quest 2 vs. Rival Headsets
The consumer choice is not simply between those two models though. There are other Oculus VR devices on the market that many VR game enthusiasts favor.
Let’s take a look at how the Quest 2 stacks up against another popular Oculus model: the Rift S. This is a tethered headset, which reduces the freedom of the player to move around during the game, but does mean that it can provide very high image resolution if the computer it is attached to has a powerful processor and graphics card.
That will let you unlock a resolution of 1,280 by 1,440 and a refresh rate of 80Hz. Of course, the Quest 2 has a better refresh rate than that, plus a potent Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor built into the headset. Another point to bear in mind is that the Rift S is now phased out by Oculus and cannot be purchased through official channels.
The Quest 2 also compares very well to VR headsets from competitor companies. The overall specs are pretty similar to rival models like the HTC Vive Pro 2, but unlike them, it can be used either as a standalone or tethered headset.
That means players can detach it from a computer for games where greater movement is needed, but also have the option of attaching a cable to their PCs so that they can access PCVR and Steam VR games titles if they wish.
The PS5 PSVR 2 is another option, but again, like desktop-focused VR headsets, you have to factor in the additional price of the PS5 console. Even if you already own a PS5 console, you are also tethered to the console through an attached cable with PSVR2. The library of games will be less, however, AAA titles from PlayStation and its partners will no doubt offer a very rich and immersive experience.
What the Critics are saying
Unsurprisingly, the Oculus Quest 2 has met with high praise from critics since it was launched. The flexibility, high-grade specs, very affordable price and lightweight build has put it on the cutting edge of VR headsets in 2022.
Tech writers for outlets ranging from the Guardian to Tech Radar have given it their seal of approval and glowing four and five-star ratings. Compared with the sometimes mixed response to earlier Oculus headsets, the Quest 2 has enjoyed overwhelmingly favorable reviews from the moment it was released.
All of this makes it the perfect headset for anyone looking to start their VR games journey, or for more experienced players who are keen to take the next big step forward in virtual reality gaming.
Hopefully, the information in this article has convinced you that the Oculus Quest 2 is still well worth your cash. There really is no better headset on the market right now with a fast library of titles of its own, and many more by connecting it to a PC desktop via AirLink or Oculus Link cable. The TikTok-owned Pico brand IS hot on Meta’s tails, but with less quantity of library titles, a much smaller userbase and bulkier controllers, the Meta Quest 2 is still a few strides ahead of its competition in 2022.
