Exploring My First VR Headset - Oculus Quest 2

It’s been a while since I bought my first virtual reality headset. Since then, I learned about the whole new world, understood common pitfalls and mastered useful tips&tricks. Today I want to share my experience with you.

Standalone

The Meta (formerly Facebook) says that Oculus Quest 2 is a standalone system just like your smartphone. In fact, its interface is built on top of Android and inside it looks like any other modern smartphone.

You do not need a gaming computer to use it. Well almost… some VR apps with complex graphics require you to use a PC running on Windows OS.

At first, it might not be clear which games can be used without a PC and which require AirLink or a USB-C cable link, but it’s not too hard to understand.

All games in the Oculus Quest store do not require a link to a PC. All games in the Oculus Rift, Steam VR and others stores require a connection to a PC.

Prices are growing

VR headset prices are rising as VR headsets get better and better. Because Oculus didn't get as much attention as other competing headsets, its price was still low but now they started growing. I bought my Oculus Quest 2 for 299$. Now it is 399$ for the same headset.

I expect Oculus Quest 3 to be more expensive and have slightly better hardware characteristics. That's precisely the same pattern as for the new smartphone version, so there's no point waiting for a miracle.

Accessories are a must

Oculus Quest 2 comes with the bare minimum to start playing VR games, but if you want to enjoy the process, you will need to spend more money on must-have accessories.

The controllers are easy to use, and they have a lot of sensors. You can do many things in the virtual world, but they can also easily slip away and break while you are playing. That is why I would defiantly recommend buying holders for them.

• Controller Grips Cover Accessories

The Oculus Quest 2 is lightweight and easy to carry around. The head strap is also adjustable, so you can make it tight or loose, depending on your preference. But it’s still just a piece of elastic, and it’s not tide enough during an immersive play session. I recommend buying a Pro Strap with a handy additional battery and replacing the default strep immediately.

• Pro Strap

Finally, you would need a case to carry all this around and store it properly. I tried could, but this is my favourite.

• Carry Case

All the necessary accessories will increase the final cost by approximately 150$ and you will look like this.

Not so many things to do

Have you ever tried any VR headsets? If yes you must know about BeatSaber. It’s still the most engaging and easy game to play in VR. Other than that, there are not so many good games to play.

For now, here are my Top VR games to play:

• BeatSaber
• Superhot VR
• Pistol Whip
• Vader Immortal
• Eleven Table Tennis
• Moon Rider (in browser game)

As for the utilities app and meetings in VR — it's too clumsy for now. Graphics and physics are very primitive and it doesn't make any benefit to use it instead of GoogleMeets/Zoom with background filters on top.

As the result

Despite all, I think Oculus Quest 2 is still the best VR headset for money and value. I am delighted with it because:

• It's easy to use, it has a great display, and brings lots of freedom when using standalone;
• Playing VR games like BeatSaber is good physical exercise for me;

The things I expect in future are:

• Hardware will get better and prices will grow;
• We will get more astonishment VR experience and not only in games;
• Someone will jailbreak Oculus Quest Android and then…😏