Six years ago, the social media giant bought the pioneer of RV Oculus for $ 2 billion. Facebook has been trying to hit VR ever since, and it’s getting close. The new Oculus Quest 2 headset has its flaws, but overall it is the most satisfying device of its kind. And the price is right; for $ 300, Quest 2 costs the same as other video game consoles, such as Nintendo Switch or Microsoft Xbox Series S.
Only about a fifth of Americans have tried a virtual reality system, let alone bought one. In part, this is due to the fact that many of the first versions need to be connected to an expensive high-powered PC, or at least a Sony PlayStation 4 or 5.
Quest 2 is a stand-alone system, meaning the headset is the computer. This is possible thanks to a new computer chip from Qualcomm that has enough firepower for these tasks. Along with the headset, you get a pair of game controllers, one for each hand. When you’re in a game, these controllers look like what you need them to be – a fist, a .45 pistol, or a lightsaber.
You will not be surprised to learn that you will have to connect Quest 2 via a Facebook account. It is probably not a problem. We’re already registered, aren’t we? Still, it means that Facebook has created yet another way to monitor all your movements – in this case, literally.
Quest uses a series of four headset-mounted cameras to examine your surroundings and help you set up a safe play area. Using a game controller, you “paint” a boundary on the floor. If you cross it, the game disappears, replaced by the live video from the room, so you don’t trip over the furniture. You can also activate this feature manually by touching the side of the headset.
The headset uses a motion detector and gyroscope to detect movements of your head and body. Look up and you will see a starry sky, not your living room ceiling; look over your shoulder and you will see a monster approaching you.
I have an exceptionally large head and wear glasses to boot, so I found Quest 2 a little too comfortable for perfect comfort. The adjustment took about a minute every time I put the device on, partly because it was attached to my head with a cheap-looking elastic strap and a cheap feel. Oculus charges an extra $ 50 for an “elite bracelet”, a plastic device that attaches to the back of the head and would probably provide much better support. For $ 130, the elite bracelet also includes an auxiliary battery to extend playing time beyond the two to three hours you can expect from the Quest’s built-in battery. And for an additional $ 80, I could order a set of prescription snap-on lenses from FramesDirect online eyeglass dealer. So I could play without my glasses.
Altogether, Quest 2 is nowhere near as good a fit as the Sony PlayStation VR headset, the most comfortable I’ve ever experienced. But who wants to be tied to a machine?
There isn’t a huge library of VR games, but I wasn’t bored. Not when I can hang out with my favorite movie villain, in the Star Wars game “Vader Immortal”. In fact, it’s a series of three mini-games, each priced at $ 10, in which you are recruited as the Dark Lord’s newest apprentice. There are a lot of lightsabers here, but what I really loved was the total immersion in the Star Wars universe of old and unkempt spaceships, sarcastic robots and vast alien landscapes.
Or for a good furious time, there is “Pistol Whip”, a musical rhythm game similar to “Just Dance” or even the old “Guitar Hero”. In this game only, you are armed with a pistol, not a Fender Stratocaster. Your objective is to go like John Wick and shoot a series of alleged murderers, while dodging the oncoming fire and dodging various obstacles, all to the sound of lounge music. After a few rounds, my body stuck to the table and locked hurt, but I smiled like a happy idiot on the trigger.
I wished the family could see what I saw while struggling. In fact, they can, more or less. The Oculus smartphone app – by the way, the best way to buy additional content – offers a YouTube-like “streaming” feature, so you can show a two-dimensional live stream of your game on any networked phone, computer or smart TV .
For a break from the action, you can add some cool VR videos. But it’s like a gaming machine that Quest 2 really earns its living. For the first time in years, it looks like VR could be the next big thing.
Hiawatha Bray can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeTechLab.