its really affordable currently. Is it still a good experience or is it lacking now ? I'd be looking to play PC stuff as well, so I'd Imagine stuff running from my PC will look alot better then the Native stuff.
is a Quest 2 still worth getting in 2024 ?
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Absolutely, for the price it's an amazing system. I still play mine all of the time. In fact, I've resisted upgrading to the Quest 3 specifically because the game I played the most (Eleven Table Tennis) has better tracking with Quest 2 controllers.
Absolutely for PCVR. Things are playable natively but you're right that they'll look better on PC.
It's still pretty good, especially hooked up to a nice PC.
We have one collecting dust because VR kinda fizzled out for us. But the hardware is still a good experience.
We have one collecting dust because VR kinda fizzled out for us. But the hardware is still a good experience.
While there is a rumored budget Quest 3 SKU that may replace a Quest 2, the Quest 2 is still the budget king for any newcomers that want a headset that have a healthy standalone VR and PCVR ecosystem.
If you don't need it right away, I'd highly suggest waiting for Meta's next showcase, since rumors abound for a Quest 3s @ $299. I wouldn't personally buy a Quest 2 now.
As a Quest 2 user, it is an amazing system but I regret not getting a Quest 3.
Meta is the only major company who invests big $$$ on VR and they're shifting their focus solely to Quest 3.
If you have the budget, Quest 3 is way to go.
Is Quest 2 a bang for your buck? Absolutely. Tons of killer apps. RE4 VR, Beat Saber, Superhot VR, Asgard's Wrath etc.
Meta is the only major company who invests big $$$ on VR and they're shifting their focus solely to Quest 3.
If you have the budget, Quest 3 is way to go.
Is Quest 2 a bang for your buck? Absolutely. Tons of killer apps. RE4 VR, Beat Saber, Superhot VR, Asgard's Wrath etc.
I'm not sure with the potential of future games being Quest 3 exclusives. Even by Meta themselves (Batman). Currently Townsman VR is one.
If it's just to play the current games... and games from Studios who will still support the Quest 2, yes.. on top of being a PCVR headset.
Future new releases from top studios... I might wait for more info, or get a Quest 3 in the mean time. That being said, three other big games releasing this year will still support Quest 2 (Alien, Metro, Behemoth). I'm just surprised about Batman, that they are developing themselves.
Edit- whoops, wrong about Alien.
If it's just to play the current games... and games from Studios who will still support the Quest 2, yes.. on top of being a PCVR headset.
Future new releases from top studios... I might wait for more info, or get a Quest 3 in the mean time. That being said, three other big games releasing this year will still support Quest 2 (
Edit- whoops, wrong about Alien.
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I like my Quest 2 and it seems like they are on sale for a good price. Wireless PC VR using the Steam Link has been a great experience for me.
I am intrigued with the Quest 3 after watching John from Digital Foundry talk about it. He has a very positive experience with the jump from Quest 2 to 3.
View: https://youtu.be/-rl9JFx1LXg?si=YOOYwHEDtzHTG8l1
View: https://youtu.be/eVTZXQga-T8?si=ID4iNzHkZNJpK7rw
I am intrigued with the Quest 3 after watching John from Digital Foundry talk about it. He has a very positive experience with the jump from Quest 2 to 3.
View: https://youtu.be/-rl9JFx1LXg?si=YOOYwHEDtzHTG8l1
View: https://youtu.be/eVTZXQga-T8?si=ID4iNzHkZNJpK7rw
I got my Quest 2 shortly after getting both a PS5 and Series X when they launched, and the Quest felt more next-gen than both of them. It also can look extremely nice connected to a capable PC.
It's hard to recommend over a Quest 3, though. There are so many little improvements to usability with the Quest 3 that I wouldn't be able to go back. The lenses are sharper with a bigger sweet spot, yes, but also the device in general is snappier and doesn't nag me about turning on lights as much as the Quest 2 did.
It's hard to recommend over a Quest 3, though. There are so many little improvements to usability with the Quest 3 that I wouldn't be able to go back. The lenses are sharper with a bigger sweet spot, yes, but also the device in general is snappier and doesn't nag me about turning on lights as much as the Quest 2 did.
Not according to this: https://www.techradar.com/computing...-games-and-apps-are-dodging-the-aging-headset
It's still a great budget/entry-level headset - especially if you plan on streaming from a PC for wireless VR.
There are rumors of it being replaced with a Quest 3S at the same price point though, which would be essentially the same headset, but with the Quest 3's faster processor for a better experience with running games/apps on the headset itself.
What I'd say is that the Quest 3 is definitely the better headset, if you can afford it.
I didn't feel like it was a huge upgrade at first - but that was maybe because I had taken a break from VR before getting my Quest 3.
After spending more time with it, and then going back to the Quest 2, the things which stood out to me are that the image is overall lower resolution/blurrier, and you can really only focus on the center of the lens with the Quest 2.
Anything off-center feels out of focus, and there's a lot of chromatic aberration.
You get used to it, but you really have to be moving your head to look at anything with the Quest 2, while you can move your eyes around more with the Quest 3.
The headset comfort and controllers are generally improved, but I never had a problem with either on the Quest 2.
It feels like there's a lot more space inside the headset for glasses too - at least with the stock facial interface.
There are rumors of it being replaced with a Quest 3S at the same price point though, which would be essentially the same headset, but with the Quest 3's faster processor for a better experience with running games/apps on the headset itself.
What I'd say is that the Quest 3 is definitely the better headset, if you can afford it.
I didn't feel like it was a huge upgrade at first - but that was maybe because I had taken a break from VR before getting my Quest 3.
After spending more time with it, and then going back to the Quest 2, the things which stood out to me are that the image is overall lower resolution/blurrier, and you can really only focus on the center of the lens with the Quest 2.
Anything off-center feels out of focus, and there's a lot of chromatic aberration.
You get used to it, but you really have to be moving your head to look at anything with the Quest 2, while you can move your eyes around more with the Quest 3.
The headset comfort and controllers are generally improved, but I never had a problem with either on the Quest 2.
It feels like there's a lot more space inside the headset for glasses too - at least with the stock facial interface.
As much as I love the Quest 3 for wireless PCVR, I've had a very difficult time rationalizing my purchase given the incredible value proposition of the Quest 2. Your finances will dictate which one you should go for but definitely look into your streaming options that are compatible with your GPU/router. No point in getting a Quest and using a link cable.
I use a dedicated WiFi6 access point for PCVR streaming and it's incredible using the AV1 codec.
I use a dedicated WiFi6 access point for PCVR streaming and it's incredible using the AV1 codec.
Worth noting that this requires a Quest 3, VirtualDesktop, and a PC GPU that supports AV1 encoding (latest generation AMD/nVidia, since Intel still has issues with VR)
I got one recently as my first ever VR device. I love it but know there is better out there. I'll happily use this until we see a drop in the Quest 3 price (or the rumoured lite version). I pretty much play Golf+ every day on it and it's been perfect.
I'd wait for the rumored cheaper version of Q3 to see what it brings to the table and where it makes cuts. I tried Q2 and for me the image was too washed out, too pixelated and too blurry on the edges and Q3 I hear is much improved in those areas. Plus the beefier hardware can't hurt. With the 2->3 trajectory, I'm really excited about Q4, whenever it drops. Picture below convinced me to get rid of Q2 and save for Q3.
I'd personally wait and see what the likely upcoming cheaper Quest 3 is like, as that will also be compatible with Quest 3 exclusives, but considering how cheap Quest 2 is, it's still fine way to try out VR, especially when you wanna hook it up to a PC.
The Asgard's Wrath series, the Insomniac exclusives (Edge to Nowhere, Stormlands), Lone Echo games, WD: Saint & Sinners, Half Life Alyx and many others make it worth it. The PC library alone will take a lot of time to get through, as games have had time to accumulate over the years.
The Asgard's Wrath series, the Insomniac exclusives (Edge to Nowhere, Stormlands), Lone Echo games, WD: Saint & Sinners, Half Life Alyx and many others make it worth it. The PC library alone will take a lot of time to get through, as games have had time to accumulate over the years.
If you're one of the many people who thinks VR hardware should cost no more than $200 regardless of quality, then sure. If you're getting into (desktop) VRChat and plan on getting FBT, hell no. Avoid wasting time and money and go for a Lighthouse headset.
I upgraded from a Rift S to a Quest 2 a couple of months ago. Being able to use it wirelessly with my PC was the big win for me. I was always fighting the Rift S because of USB ports or some other awful error. The Quest 2 resolved all of those connection issues for me. I just put on the headset and go. Haven't tried the Quest 3 but couldn't justify the extra money for how much I actually use VR. I have no interest in the standalone capabilities, just for tethering with my PC. If there is a budget model 3 on the way that does make the 2 a harder sell but I have no regrets.
Having tried the Quest 3, It's definitely not as good as the picture on the right. Heck It doesn't even look as good as the picture on the left when it's on your face. I haven't tried the Quest 2 though.I'd wait for the rumored cheaper version of Q3 to see what it brings to the table and where it makes cuts. I tried Q2 and for me the image was too washed out, too pixelated and too blurry on the edges and Q3 I hear is much improved in those areas. Plus the beefier hardware can't hurt. With the 2->3 trajectory, I'm really excited about Q4, whenever it drops. Picture below convinced me to get rid of Q2 and save for Q3.
Maybe there's something wrong with your unit or you haven't adjusted the lens for the best effect? The Q2 picture looks exactly how Alyx looked for me, having this blurry, hazy look to it. So I trust the second image. Iirc they were made by making a photo from a camera pointed at one of the lens. Many people say that jump in quality from Q2->Q3 is quite big, so it furthers my confidence in the validity of those images.
For the $200 price and the fact that you are playing at least partially PCVR, yes absolutely. Regardless of what the Quest 3 Lite is like, it will still probably be $300. So if price is the reason you haven't dove in yet, Quest 2 would be a great entry and possibly best bang for your buck right now or in the next year or two. A third party head strap is a must, though.
And to be honest the only thing that the Quest 3 has that makes it seem to stand out is better weight distribution (thinner) and the improved lenses. The resolution bump is supposedly noticeable but not game-changing, and the faster processing is nice but obviously not necessary if there's a PC version. I may wait for a Quest 4 to upgrade from my 2 (as long as none of the standalone Quest 3 exclusives seem like a must-buy).
And to be honest the only thing that the Quest 3 has that makes it seem to stand out is better weight distribution (thinner) and the improved lenses. The resolution bump is supposedly noticeable but not game-changing, and the faster processing is nice but obviously not necessary if there's a PC version. I may wait for a Quest 4 to upgrade from my 2 (as long as none of the standalone Quest 3 exclusives seem like a must-buy).
I can't really try it again as I tried it on a friends unit, however It was just blurry and not even close to the clarity of that picture. I changed everyrhing I could adjust for the best result but It just never looked liked the picture. It's possible that I did something wrong but again two of my friends told me it was normal for the picture to be a bit blurry.
Nah this is definitely downplaying the pancake lenses and the overall display differences between the two, colors in general look much more vibrant and pop more on Q3 vs Q2, a simple resolution bump is underselling it imo. You might think its a gimmick but you're also leaving out a fairly big aspect of the headset's features, that being its mixed reality capabilities and when paired with the color passthrough it allows for a lot of unique game modes, a fair number of apps and games have been updated with MR modes that simply don't work on Quest 2. This will only increase with time.
All that said if OP is mostly looking for a cheap entry to PCVR then yeah Quest 2 is an insane value, but I'd personally wait for the Quest 3 lite announcement to see if it has support for forthcoming Q3 exclusives like Batman, and also still retains MR + color passthrough support.
If you don't want to wait for the Q3 lite or whatever its called, the Q2 is an excellent entry point for PCVR.
Loads of games work on it natively too, though newer games tend to be a bit blurrier and neither Q2 or Q3 will look as good as say: a PSVR2 game running on PS5, let alone games running on mid/high-end PCs.
Loads of games work on it natively too, though newer games tend to be a bit blurrier and neither Q2 or Q3 will look as good as say: a PSVR2 game running on PS5, let alone games running on mid/high-end PCs.
Some games running natively on quest might look blurry (sub-native res) but otherwise the Quest 2 and 3 look pretty much like that image, with the edges being a bit blurry.
I tried that one roller coaster game, Asgard's wrath 2 (native) and Blade and sorcery running on a PC (over wifi).
But then again even the menu was blurry, I was just kind of disappointed tbh. People really hyped me up for this thing.
VR has potential but this is just not there yet imo.
edit: Oh, I also tried beat saber which might make me buy one of my own, It's an amazing game.
I've been thinking about getting into some light VR (I currently only own an Oculus Go), and I just picked up a pre-owned 256GB Quest 2 with elite strap for $171 after tax/shipping. $500 for the 3 with only 128GB is way too rich for my blood.
I only use my Go for video content, and it only has 32GB of storage, so this should be a nice upgrade anyway.
I only use my Go for video content, and it only has 32GB of storage, so this should be a nice upgrade anyway.
If you to the PC route 100% yes its the best way to start VR and see if you like it because its still really good and also affordable.
Standalone for now its ok but soon to be left behind by most devs.
Standalone for now its ok but soon to be left behind by most devs.
I have one since 2022. I have used it 4 hours top.
1 of those was to watch "VR F1 stream" with some friends in a "VR movie theater"
The games, even Alyx when connected to the PC, all looked like shit compared to any of the current consoles or PC and the actual experience of "viewing the VR world" is bad: IQ is low, focus and clarity are low, everything is subpar.
To be fair, all other VR headsets are similar to me, even those with much better IQ.
1 of those was to watch "VR F1 stream" with some friends in a "VR movie theater"
The games, even Alyx when connected to the PC, all looked like shit compared to any of the current consoles or PC and the actual experience of "viewing the VR world" is bad: IQ is low, focus and clarity are low, everything is subpar.
To be fair, all other VR headsets are similar to me, even those with much better IQ.
I feel like you and perhaps CheapJi need prescription lens inserts. Focus and clarity shouldn't be low at all on these when playing a game on PC (assuming you're not running in low-res stream).
I have 20/20, that shouldn't be the reason.
I believe that the rendering tech and lens configuration are just not there to make it work (at least how I expect it to work). A regular big 2D OLED TV looks 900000% better than even the best VR headset display to me. The "immersion" of being in a VR world breaks immediately no matter how much I try to like it.
2K pixels blown up to fill your entire field of view are going to be more noticeable than 4K pixels compressed into a much smaller field of view on a TV 10 feet away.
So the headset itself is still amazing. Ridiculous value for the price.
It's very good for PCVR. It's very good for all the existing standalone games from the official Meta store. And it's amazing for all the free fan made VR ports on SideQuest like Doom, Quake, Half-Life, etc. None of that will change any time soon.
But the one thing to keep in mind is that just in the last few weeks the first major Quest 3 exclusives have been announced: Batman Arkham Shadow and Alien: Rogue Incursion are both going to be Quest 3 exclusive and won't run on Quest 2.
Now we don't really know anything about either game yet, so we don't know if either of those particular games being Quest 3 really matters, but clearly Meta is starting to transition over to Quest 3 exclusives.
It's very good for PCVR. It's very good for all the existing standalone games from the official Meta store. And it's amazing for all the free fan made VR ports on SideQuest like Doom, Quake, Half-Life, etc. None of that will change any time soon.
But the one thing to keep in mind is that just in the last few weeks the first major Quest 3 exclusives have been announced: Batman Arkham Shadow and Alien: Rogue Incursion are both going to be Quest 3 exclusive and won't run on Quest 2.
Now we don't really know anything about either game yet, so we don't know if either of those particular games being Quest 3 really matters, but clearly Meta is starting to transition over to Quest 3 exclusives.
I have a q3 and q2 at home and use them about 50/50 for sharing purposes. The q2 captures the full q3 experience but without the nicer sweet spot lenses. Most people who get into vr probably don't end up using it that much or bounce off, which makes q2 price amazing. I am happy with q3 purchase, but I bought it for the new AR features which now I don't use at all.
I don't really need glasses for stuff closer than like 2.5 meters. I don't use glasses for pc gaming for example as my monitor is close enough to me to see it perfectly fine.
Alright. I'm just suggesting stuff because the whole "everything is blurry" thing just doesn't make sense considering it's quite sharp for me and I use a 27" 4K monitor every day.
A lot of people also don't realize that the focal distance through the lenses of the Quest is about 2 meters.
It just looked nowhere near those alyx screenshots. Like it's not unusable but It's just not very great imo.