VR HELP: Oculus Quest vs Oculus Rift S? Which should I get?

[RagingAvatar]

As per the thread title..

Now that Quest has Oculus Link and you can hook it up to a PC and play all the Rift content, is the Quest the better headset over the Rift S?
Or does the Rift having a higher refresh rate make it a lot better?

Anyone have any experience on the Oculus Link and want to comment?
I see a lot of people saying that it's a great experience but a couple of being have said it isn't as good, particularly the tracking and compressed image in the corner of the view?
What are your thoughts?

 

[xeroborn55]

i just made this decision - i went rift, figured if i need a cable anyway might as well get the headset made for that. ive got this expensive computer... might as well use it.

no regrets... i like the rift s a lot

 

[Exit Music]

No matter what anyone says, the Rift S is simply more comfortable than the Quest. If you're going to be doing most of your playing in your own house near your computer I would get a Rift S. If the idea of portability and wireless gaming appeal to you, get a quest.

 

[shaneo632]

Rift S is fantastic. So easy to set up and get going.

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Do you care about portability? Would the cable really bother you to the point you were willing to take a graphically lesser version of a game to avoid it?

If the answer to either of these is "Yes" then get the Quest.

I don't care about portability at all, and I want the maximum fidelity for my experience, so I went S and I'm happy with that decision. It was cheaper too with the BF sale.

 

[GrrImAFridge]

I went with the Quest myself.

- My luck being what it is, I didn't want to tempt fate with the Rift S's lack of manual IPD adjustment
- While I intend to use Oculus Link the majority of the time, I figured I would appreciate the option of portability in instances where I don't necessarily need to run a game/"experience" on my PC directly (e.g. showing somebody the Superhot demo)
- I find that Oculus Link works perfectly well with a run-of-the-mill 5Gbps USB3 -> USBC cable
- Carmack has said there's room to improve the streaming quality the official Oculus Link cable will provide, and the intention is to eventually offer an official wireless solution (unofficially, ALVR and the Oculus Store version of Virtual Desktop can stream PCVR games to the Quest via local WiFi, but, naturally, this is a very YMMV thing)
- While the Rift S may be more comfortable, I don't find the Quest to be uncomfortable at all
- The Quest is getting hand tracking next year, and while Carmack has said the Rift S can support it, Facebook has been iffy on whether this'll happen

 

[oakenhild]

Portability made more of a difference than I could have imagined prior to trying the Quest. And by portability, I simply mean not having to be fairly close to your computer and not having a cable. Not having a cable is a far bigger deal than I expected. It helps with the immersion, not ever having to worry about getting tangled up and feeling it hanging.

Having the option to hook it up with the link is also pretty great to play PCVR games for those that aren't on Quest.

I've owned a CV1 and now a Quest. Biggest upgrade for me was the image clarity, no cable, and inside out tracking (which Rift S has as well).

Quest games rarely go on sale though, which is a big negative.

 

[CriticalHit]

Having both, the Rift S is way more comfortable, and will track and look better. I love my quest, but if you're primarily going to use it as a PC headset then you're better off getting a Rift S.

 

[Galaxea]

I was in the same situation as you. The quest hasn't been too uncomfortable but I still have added a quick diy counterweight mod just to help with light slipping while playing beat saber.

I decided that I do enjoy the wireless feature in the quest enough to get it for that feature. I wake up in the morning, grab the headset and jump into beat saber for a good warmup to my morning. I could do that with a rift s, but it's nice to go to any area in my house without the need of a wire. I can't wait for the 360 update for the quest version of beat saber.

Will you ever be in a situation that you'd want to use the wireless feature? Grab the quest.
Do you have a normal range ipd and cannot fathom ever using it wirelessly? Get the rift s and enjoy the comfort and clarity of PC VR.

I think the fidelity over the link will get better over the next few months of them tweaking the experience.

P.S. movie watching in sky box is way better than I imagined. I was lying in bed watching a movie without disturbing my wife. Wireless is nice.

 

[gozu]

The Quest is too top heavy and uncomfortable. You will need counter-weights and a better strap to reach its potential

You will also need some cable management to play wired so the cable weight falls on your back, not the front, which would make it even more front heavy.

I assume the Rift S is comfortable out the box like the OG rift (which I own).

Are you willing to spend $150+ to "fix" your Quest? If yes, get one. If no, get the OG rift or the Rift S. (the OG rift comes with headphones, 90 FPS and OLED, so it hold up pretty well compared to the S).

 

[mztik]

It might also be important to note:
- Quest uses 2 separate OLED screens at 1440x1600 resolution for each screen
- Rift S uses 1 single LCD screen at 2560×1440 resolution

Might come down to preference.

 

[Kraken3dfx]

No question in my mind at this point with the new Link capability, the Quest is the way to go. The screen is a higher resolution, full 6DOF motion tracking, you can play SteamVR games either wirelessly over a good 5GHz wifi connection or using a USB cable (I've put well over 30 hours into Fallout 4 VR using the wifi option using Virtual Desktop Streaming, and the result are nothing less than fantastic for me).

Being able to run games natively on the Quest is also huge, I've spent hours out on my back deck when the weather is nice playing Beat Saber. Freedom from cables for VR is a huge thing once you experience it in person.

Not sure anyone would buy a Rift S at this point tbh.

 

[medyej]

Quest. Link cable is great and having untethered VR whenver you want and to show people is amazing.

 

[Galaxea]

The Quest is too top heavy and uncomfortable. You will need counter-weights and a better strap to reach its potential

You will also need some cable management to play wired so the cable weight falls on your back, not the front, which would make it even more front heavy.

I assume the Rift S is comfortable out the box like the OG rift (which I own).

Are you willing to spend $150+ to "fix" your Quest? If yes, get one. If no, get the OG rift or the Rift S. (the OG rift comes with headphones, 90 FPS and OLED, so it hold up pretty well compared to the S).

Click to shrink...

$150 to fix the quest? I am in the goal of getting it fully comfortable in the $20 dollar range. However, I love diy and found some cool ideas online that shouldn't take me long at all to implement. I used a thinktank battery holder with some double a batteries to offset the weight and bought a 10 dollar silicone cover on amazon. I might grab a sweatband to add to it although I don't think I really need that. I haven't really encountered the uncomfortable feeling people seem to get, though. I just want to make it even better if possible.

 

[Galaxea]

No question in my mind at this point with the new Link capability, the Quest is the way to go. The screen is a higher resolution, full 6DOF motion tracking, you can play SteamVR games either wirelessly over a good 5GHz wifi connection or using a USB cable (I've put well over 30 hours into Fallout 4 VR using the wifi option using Virtual Desktop Streaming, and the result are nothing less than fantastic for me).

Not sure anyone would buy a Rift S at this point tbh.

Click to shrink...

I really want virtual desktop but I am not sure how good it will work with my Google home router. It auto puts you on 2.4ghz.or 5 (you can't force something onto one or the other) so I feel like it would screw me over. I guess I need to invest into a better router in the near future.

 

[Niceguydan8]

One thing to keep in mind between them is that the Oculus Quest is going to get hand tracking "early next year" whereas the Oculus Rift S (so far) won't.

 

[Kraken3dfx]

I really want virtual desktop but I am not sure how good it will work with my Google home router. It auto puts you on 2.4ghz.or 5 (you can't force something onto one or the other) so I feel like it would screw me over. I guess I need to invest into a better router in the near future.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I use a Netgear Nighthawk X6 R8000 with an R6700 hard wired to it on the other side of our house as an extender, and using 5GHz, I rarely see visual drops in VR streaming to the Quest, maybe once every hour, and even then it's for like a second and then it snaps back into place. The trade off has been more than worth it to me to have PC based VR that doesn't tie me down to cables or a specific room.

 

[Mendrox]

No question. The Quest is portable and now with Link you almost have the same experience than with the S. The weight is really not a problem, but seems like people have preferences for that. Quest will get handtracking and the S so far won't so...there is your answer.

 

[Monster Zero]

Watch this OP before you make a purchase decision. It's a well done video.

 

[ChaosInTheSnow]

Totally agree with the comfort point about the Quest (though it can be solved with some mods, which add to the price). But I have played extensively with the Link and standalone and I love the flexibility that offers. I have retired my CV1 Rift.

IQ is not much worse than CV1 but is probably more noticeable when compared to the Rift S. For me the difference is not enough to pay attention to while actually playing. And the official cable may minimise this further in future. Tracking/lag is not an issue for me based off lots of Beat Saber on expert+.

There are some games and apps that are considerably better experiences wireless. Things like Superhot, Tilt Brush, Eleven Table Tennis (which is in beta on Quest) and Thrill of the Fight are all made a lot more enjoyable wireless IMO (even if the Quest brings some compromises).

If you have absolutely zero interest in wireless or portability then the Rift S is the right choice. Otherwise I would always recommend the Quest.

 

[Teiresias]

Seems like the Quest is the better option if we can buy or mod a better head strap solution. Regardless of the other issues, the fact that Rift S doesn't have IPS adjustment seems like a big risk if buying the Rift S blind.

 

[GrrImAFridge]

Yeah, I use a Netgear Nighthawk X6 R8000 with an R6700 hard wired to it on the other side of our house as an extender, and using 5GHz, I rarely see visual drops in VR streaming to the Quest, maybe once every hour, and even then it's for like a second and then it snaps back into place. The trade off has been more than worth it to me to have PC based VR that doesn't tie me down to cables or a specific room.

Click to shrink...

I appreciate this. I was hemming and hawing the other day over whether to purchase a new router, which I'll need to do eventually as my current one has horribly unreliable IPv6 "support", but ultimately decided against it. However, knowing that local wireless streaming can work very well with the right setup might push me over the edge the next time there's a sale on WiFi 6 routers.

 

[Deleted member 22002]

I had to make the same choice and went Rift S: better headset all around and it was a tiny bit cheaper, I have a perfectly average IPD.
I'm sure i would have enjoyed the Quest playing Beat Saber here and there unthetered... but that's it. The real deal is PCVR.

 

[Jailer of Hope]

If you're outside the optimal IPD range than the Rift S will be an uncomfortable experience for you.

 

[Kraken3dfx]

I appreciate this. I was hemming and hawing the other day over whether to purchase a new router, which I'll need to do eventually as my current one has horribly unreliable IPv6 "support", but ultimately decided against it. However, knowing that local wireless streaming can work very well with the right setup might push me over the edge the next time there's a sale on WiFi 6 routers.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, the wired Link option on the Quest works well, but I'm pretty concerned about the stress that a USB C cable is going to put on the charge/data port on the Quest with constantly moving around, so a good wireless setup is still preferable IMO. If you break the charge port on the Quest, that's pretty much game over.

 

[Turin Turambar]

The consensus is: it depends if you are interested in a PC VR headset, or in VR in general. If the latter, the Quest is better, because it's a portable, wireless VR system, that additionally also serves as an acceptable PC VR headset. It's like a 2x1 headset. But if you only want to play on PC, the Rift S has a screen with full RGB stripe so there is less screen door, it's a bit more comfortable, the refresh rate is a bit higher, and it has been $50 cheaper a few days ago.
The exception to this rule is depending on your IPD, you may fall outside the range of the Rift S, which has lenses at a fixed distance, while the Quest has a mechanical slider.

 

[Quample]

Reasons for Quest:
-Most versatile headset currently. If you see yourself playing on the go as well as PC, definitely go with Quest.
-Has features Rift S doesn't. Supports future hand tracking as well as certain apps that can't be found on PC.
-OLED display = more vibrant colors/deeper blacks.
-manual IPD adjustment (important if your IPD is an outlier)

Reasons for S:
-Superior comfort (without modding the Quest with the Vive audio strap)
-LCD display/RGB subpixels= sharper image
-Image is not compressed (how much this effects the Quest is still debatable as far as I know)
-extra camera pointing upward = theoretically better tracking.

Can't go wrong either way, but overall if you're going to play PC only I would go S. Otherwise go Quest.

hot take from experience: my buddy has an S, I have a CV1. If you can get a CV1 on the cheap (less than ~250) and don't mind setting up sensors/getting extension cables, CV1 is better in some ways. The tracking is fantastic, the controllers seem more sturdy/higher quality. The screen isn't quite as good as far as IQ, but the 90hz compared to the Rift S 80hz partially makes up for it.

 

[In Amber Clad]

i just made this decision - i went rift, figured if i need a cable anyway might as well get the headset made for that. ive got this expensive computer... might as well use it.

no regrets... i like the rift s a lot

Click to shrink...

This was my thinking. Picked up a Rift S last week and also have no regrets.

 

[Deleted member 14649]

I think it depends entirely on your percentage of usage - mine is going to be used 75% of the time as a party/chill out device so I went with the Quest. I've tried all of the VR devices, and having the option, without buying extra kit, of just unplugging and having the freedom makes it the best I've ever used in terms of immersion.

 

[Timu]

Now that Oculus Link is here since you can play the Rift S games with Quest, go with the Quest.

 

[Alucardx23]

As per the thread title..

Now that Quest has Oculus Link and you can hook it up to a PC and play all the Rift content, is the Quest the better headset over the Rift S?
Or does the Rift having a higher refresh rate make it a lot better?

Anyone have any experience on the Oculus Link and want to comment?
I see a lot of people saying that it's a great experience but a couple of being have said it isn't as good, particularly the tracking and compressed image in the corner of the view?
What are your thoughts?

Click to shrink...

Go with the Quest. It just offers more value in my oppinion.

 

[GameAddict411]

If you are planning to use it mainly with your PC, the rift s without a doubt. There is a noticeable quality difference between them.

 

[Timu]

One thing to keep in mind between them is that the Oculus Quest is going to get hand tracking "early next year" whereas the Oculus Rift S (so far) won't.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, that's true and gives another reason to go with it.

 

[phant0m]

Quest all day son. No wires is god

 

[mordecaii83]

I currently have a CV1 Rift, but I'm seriously tempted to buy a Quest just so I don't have to set up and plug in all the sensors whenever I want to use it. Plus I'd love playing less demanding games with no wires.

Edit: How is the hand/controller tracking and room scale tracking on a Quest vs something like a CV1 with 3 sensors?

 

[Ruu]

I currently have a CV1 Rift, but I'm seriously tempted to buy a Quest just so I don't have to set up and plug in all the sensors whenever I want to use it. Plus I'd love playing less demanding games with no wires.

Edit: How is the hand/controller tracking and room scale tracking on a Quest vs something like a CV1 with 3 sensors?

Click to shrink...

I'm just about with you. I have my CV1 always hooked up and ready to go and I still kind of wish I just had a Quest. Maybe in a year or so with a successor to the Quest or a $200 deal on one eventually.

 

[Ororo]

Will Occuls link work with my NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti?

And should I get a USB C to C cable or just the usb C to USB 3 linked here?

 

[Kirksplosion]

I was mulling the same question for months and ended up deciding on the Rift S on Black Friday. No regrets at all.

 

[Timu]

Will Occuls link work with my NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti?

And should I get a USB C to C cable or just the usb C to USB 3 linked here?

Click to shrink...

This is what it needs for GPUs:

 

[Xx 720]

I love vr porn, I had an original Rift but ended up preferring the gear vr. Just got a quest so will get the option for pc plus the convenience of wireless, looking forward to HLA.

 

[JCizzle]

I was having the same debate but ended up with the Quest due to Link. No regrets so far! I never tried the S though.

 

[Scuffed]

The Quest for sure. It's better in pretty much every way imo. I'm not even including the Link beta, which for me at least, is working perfectly. Wireless vr is the best vr. It tops any other feature imo.

 

[Deleted member 14649]

This is what it needs for GPUs:

Click to shrink...

Think this has changed recently, as I noticed the 970 *is* now supported, which is handy as I have an old one knocking around in a cupboard.

 

[Timu]

Think this has changed recently, as I noticed the 970 *is* now supported, which is handy as I have an old one knocking around in a cupboard.

Click to shrink...

Oh it has? That's cool. But still doesn't list the GTX 1050 Ti.

 

[Ororo]

But i read the GTX ti1050 was supported from a user , just wanted to verify

 

[Timu]

But i read the GTX ti1050 was supported from a user , just wanted to verify

Click to shrink...

Ah ok, that's cool!

 

[gozu]

$150 to fix the quest? I am in the goal of getting it fully comfortable in the $20 dollar range. However, I love diy and found some cool ideas online that shouldn't take me long at all to implement. I used a thinktank battery holder with some double a batteries to offset the weight and bought a 10 dollar silicone cover on amazon. I might grab a sweatband to add to it although I don't think I really need that. I haven't really encountered the uncomfortable feeling people seem to get, though. I just want to make it even better if possible.

Click to shrink...

What about the strap though? What about cable management for PC play?

You only solved one of the 3 problems.

 

[Deleted member 2620]

They both rule but if you have the PC for it, get the Rift. The Quest gains a ton with Link, but the comfort and form factor of the Rift make it still clearly preferable in my eyes.

 

[Galaxea]

What about the strap though? What about cable management for PC play?

You only solved one of the 3 problems.

Click to shrink...

Which strap? Cable management is definitely an issue using link. I just played through duck season and I had to position myself a couple times during my session. I need to figure that out.

Edit: Actually, I might grab the kiwi pully system to manage the wire when I start using the link more often. I didn't think it'd work in the room I play in because of the ceiling type but it has an adhesive option as well. That's only 15.99

 

[James3D]

I have both (well, all of the main headsets) and find the Rift S uncomfortable. I wouldn't recommend it. The Quest is cool. The Index is best, obviously.