So with VR in its infancy this is a massive step in the right direction with the Oculus Quest. There are no wires and no additional equipment required and In my opinion the Oculus Quest has been a massive VR game changer.
It is completly wireless and functional without adding any gaming PC. However, There is an option of adding The link cable to get the best of both worlds to use it with Gaming PC.
The Quest is an improved Version of their other model the Oculus Go,
The Quest delivers six degrees of freedom (6DOF) tracking. This is because of the two motion controllers, which look like the older Oculus Touch with some minor design changes, as well as sensors located on the sides of the headset.
The exciting part is you can walk around anywhere unrestricted while your movements are translated into VR. The Oculus Quest really does open up possibilities for bending, walking around and crouching. Being an avid VR Gamer you are always aware of where the cord is to ensure you don't trip over wires when you are in a virtual environment.
Facebook who owns Oculus, Does not show any signs of slowing down when it comes to VR. The Oculus Go launched in 2018, the Oculus Quest was released in 2019 the Rift S PC-powered headset was released in 2019 as well!
Price & Release Date
AUS $699 (64 GB) AUS $799 (128 GB)
Currently, the cost of the Quest is a little more than a 4K games console.
You can pick up the 1TB version of the PS4 Pro AUS $428. So the Oculus Quest is more of an investment. However, I feel that it is a MASSIVE reward!
Oculus Quest launched on May 21, 2019 and is now available in 22 countries.
Design
The Oculus Quest is the best-looking VR headsets currently on the market. It feels very solid and well-designed.
Measuring 120mm x 110mm x 90mm, it is surprisingly compact.
I also found it very light too especially considering everything powering your virtual experience is inside the one standalone device.
The front has a matte black exterior with Oculus printed at the top. The sides are covered in a tough fabric, with a similar feel to the Go. There's a foam inner lining around the goggles.
To secure it onto your head there are three thick, velcro straps one on top and one either side that is really easily adjustable before you put it on and during gameplay, which is handy because it's bound to move about a little and need tightening.
These velcro straps are attached to a rubberized, triangle-shaped headband that covers the back of your head. This does stay very secure, even after an hour of Beatsaber.
The fit is generally snug but there's some slight leakage around the nose. This was the first thing I noticed coming from the PSVR. I am sure it will bother some people by light leakage when it comes to VR as it can break the immersion, others tend to forget it's there,(this was the case for me)
The headset's weight distribution generally felt good, which is important considering the Quest is built for movement and lots of turning and looking up and down.
After an hour of continuous wear I started to feel pressure on mycheekbones what looks like you have joined the Army however this does go away minutes after taking the headset off and didn't hurt, it is like you have been smiling for too long.
On the sides of the headset there's a 3.5 mm headphone jack and three buttons. One turns the power on and off, others turns volume up and down.
Like both the Oculus Rift and Oculus Go, there’s a focal slider hidden under the front of the headset that gives you the option to shift the focal distance between the lenses. If you've ever felt like VR is good but just seems a little "off" then this slider will probably give you the added clarity and comfort you need to really enjoy yourself.
Out of the box you get the Quest headset, touch controllers, power adapter, charging cable, glasses spacer, batteries and instructions.
The glasses spacer is a good addition. As anyone who has tried glasses with a VR headset will know, they're necessary but can get squashed or make the headset sit weirdly. The Quest also comes with two controllers, each with thumbsticks, buttons on the top, a trigger button underneath and a grip button at the side, these are powered by two AA batteries, which come included too.
Just like the headset itself, the controllers feel good quality. They're basically just smaller versions of the existing Oculus controllers, the Oculus Touch, but with a tracking ring on top of the controllers instead of below them. The design of the controllers is ergonomic, which is important when you're learning to make fists and manipulate objects. They feel good in my hands and you can tell they have a quality build – they feel premium. (Note: I have heard reports that on the back side of the controller some of them break I have used the Quest ALOT to say the least and I have not experienced this breaking)
In the Oculus Quest tutorial lesson, called First Steps, you have the opportunity to really test out the full capability of the controllers, learning which buttons did what, one taking you back to the menu screen, the trigger acting as a, well, trigger.
The overall design of the Quest is AMAZING!, but it's the untethered freedom and relatively compact design that’s the real draw here. Even those who are serious about at-home entertainment might be put off by a tethered device, Oculus has created something great with this headset!
Performance
The Quest will rank highly in almost every way and give the PC-powered headsets a run for their money.
The Quest has an OLED display panel with 1440 x 1600 per eye resolution. Images on the screen look clear and colorful. Compare this to the PSVR’s 960 × 1080 pixels per eye, which means the Quest's experience is going to look more realistic. The Quest is less powerful than the Rift, but that's to be expected – there's no PC powering this headset.
Unlike other headsets that require additional equipment, external sensors or a lengthy set-up process, once the Quest is charged up you can be up-and-running within a few minutes thanks to an easy set-up within the Oculus mobile app.
Once you have the app you'll need to pair the headset. You’ll then have to walk through a couple of steps, pairing the headset up to the app, connecting it to Wifi. Another good part is that the Controllers are already set up. There are then some safety notices to work through.
One of the key selling points of the Quest is that it handles movement tracking well. This is thanks to the new Oculus Insight technology, which uses ultra wide-angle sensors on the side of the headset, as well as computer vision algorithms, to translate your movements into VR with what Oculus calls inside-out tracking.
The movement tracking is excellent, especially when you consider how far VR has come in a few short years. Even the Quest tutorial content requires you to pick up balls and blocks and handle things – with buttons and triggers on the controllers corresponding with different fingers and gestures – and it felt extremely accurate.
Another big draw of the Quest is it's ideal for spaces of all sizes. Firstly that's because you don't need to worry about where it goes, hooking it up to a PC and arranging external sensors. But it also has an excellent 'Guardian' safety system.
This allows you to 'Draw' a boundary line in your room, so you can avoid TVs or furniture, then you play within that boundary. You're reminded it's there really subtly as you play with a grid that fades in and out as you approach it. This might seem like a small addition, but it's key to translating a cool VR experience into your day-to-day life. ( with the Gardian System one thing that I have Learned is don't Draw it right to the wall give your self some buffer. Especially when your either in a epic light saber battle or batteling the dead if your throwing quick movements you still could hit the wall )
A gameplay area that's a minimum of 2 meters x 2 meters or 6.5 feet x 6.5 feet is recommended, but you can play in less than that, you'll just need to draw out available space. Those in small homes will be happy to hear you can also bypass all of this and just play standing still or sitting in a much smaller sphere of movement. Oculus Quest has positional audio built-in, which delivers sound from your virtual adventures without headphones or you can use the 3.5mm headphone jacks. The built-in speakers are amazing they are great because you can still hear what is going on around you in the real world! It's also truly wireless that way, rather than having headphone cable swinging round your neck.
Battery life
Oculus says you can expect the Quest to last 2 to 3 hours after a full charge, depending on whether you're watching media or playing games. I have found this accurate during our testing, with the Quest lasting around 2 hours with a lot of gameplay. Just over 2 hours feels simultaneously a little short for serious gamers.
The battery life would probably be more of an issue if the Quest is being bought to share amongst family members who want to be able to pass it between them.
However, what helps is that the Quest comes with a long, 6 metre-long cable, presumably this is so you can keep playing when it's charging. That means it's suddenly tethered again, but at least you have the option to charge and play.
The battery status is easy to check either from the Oculus app on your phone or in VR via the Oculus Home menu.
It had taken me only 2 hours to charge the Quest back up to 100%, which isn't that bad, which lasted the same amount of time with a 3 hour charge.
Specs.
Release date 21 May 2019
Price
AUS $699 (64 GB) AUS 799 (128 GB)
Operating system- Android 7.1.1, System-on-chip used Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
CPU- 4 Kryo 280 Gold (ARM Cortex-A73 based) @ 2.45 GHz + 4 Kryo 280 Silver (ARM Cortex-A73 based) @ 1.9 GHz
Memory -4 GB[2]
Storage -64 GB, 128 GB
Display -Pen Tile OLED 1440 × 1600 per eye @ 72 Hz
Graphics - Adreno 540
Sound Integrated stereo speakers -2 × 3.5 mm headphone jack
Input- 6 Degrees Of Freedom inside-out tracking through 4 built-in cameras
Controller input- 2nd generation Oculus Touch motion tracked controllers
Camera- 4 cameras
Connectivity -USB Type-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Online services- Oculus Store
Games
There is so many Games on offer where do I Start? There are currently 155 Games on the Store and I currently own 68 Games/Apps on the Quest - So clearly i am really enjoying the Content! Also, I would like to note that this is not including the Link Cable as then you get to add all the Oculus Rift Games as well.
There is games for all types of Gamerz so you play the quest your way either Sitting, Standing or with Roomscale(Move Around)
Oculus App
Now I know every company has an app and alot of simular features, So Oculus is doing the same and has all the things you come to expect with a gaming app:
Change Between devies, Quest, Go, Rift
Shows you your current Library
Notifications - on Friends messages and also Game Sales!
Buy Games from the Store when you dont have your quest with you! They automatically Download!
Chat to all you quest Buddies.
Add Friends to you Quest list!
Casting your game to compatible device (iphone, Google hub)
Summary
The Oculus Quest is special. It's an out of the box experience that allows you to play truly immersive VR anytime and anywhere.
I think it will appeal to those who haven't jumped into VR yet. And what a truley amazing way to convince those who aren't sold on the potential of VR yet than with a headset that delivers on quality with no extra equipment required!
The Oculus Quest shakes things up, bringing in a headset that is also standalone, light and accessible but has all-important movement tracking built-in, with an experience that rivals the Rift in most ways. It's for those who are curious about VR as well, but more serious about entertainment and trying new tech.
The Quest seems like a more affordable option in comparison to other VR headsets you don't need a PC or added equipment. However, it's difficult to say that it's an affordable option for everyone. It's obviously cheap-er than the high-end headsets that require a PC, but it still isn't cheap. Even though it doesn't need the extra investment, for many it's still a steep price to pay purely for an entertainment machine that's still largely an unknown.
But cost issues aside, the Quest is a fun, immersive and compelling VR solution that would win over lots of people and it has won me over!
Let me know if you have tried the Quest and what you think of it
If you want to add me as a Friend Oculus add GamerzDownunder
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