Facebook made a number of VR orientated announcement sat Facebook Connect yesterday. The key reveal of the show was the new Oculus Quest 2, its next generation of all-in-one VR headset, with new Touch controllers and highest resolution display ever. Going forward there will be no more PC-specific HMDs like the Rift S from Facebook / Oculus, instead they will ask users who want to enjoy PC-accelerated VR experiences to use the Quest HMDs combined with an Oculus Link interface.
Inside the new Oculus Quest 2 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 SoC, which is said to provide a multi-generational leap in processing power with enhanced AI capabilities. The processor is backed up by 6GB of RAM. It will be made available with 64GB or 256GB of on-board storage for $/£100 difference. Another significant uplift with the Quest 2 is the new display with 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye - 50 per cent more pixels than its predecessor. Furthermore, the display is capable of 90Hz refresh.
The new Quest 2 is more comfortable than ever, it is claimed, and at least it is 10 per cent lighter. There are three IPD settings available to make it more comfortable to a wider range of users too.
Oculus says it has improved the Touch controllers, based upon the original designs but with better ergonomics. Controller tracks has been optimised for efficiency and this tweak has extended the controller battery life by 4x.
In the intro the announcement that the Rift headsets were being phased out (by 2021) might have caught your attention. Going forward Facebook / Oculus will concentrate on this Quest wireless experience. However, a PC-accelerated (wired) experience will be supported on the Quest via Oculus Link cable and this flexibility is asserted to be "the future of VR," by Facebook. Oculus Link will exit beta shortly with better fidelity and 90Hz support and its added games and features will be folded into the Quest UI.
On the topic of high-end PC VR experiences, Oculus was pleased to showcase both Lone Echo II and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond.
The Oculus Quest 2 is up for pre-order now direct from Oculus or from the likes of Currys PC World and FNAC Darty in the UK and EU, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart in the US, and Amazon worldwide. It will be in Japanese retail for the first time too. Its launch price of US$299 is $100 lower than the original Quest. Shipments begin on 13th October.
