Meta Quest 2 — 256 GB 2 Elite Strap

In a time you have toothbrushes with an internet connection we now have data mining goggles.Firstly I have an oculus quest and prior to that an oculus go. I wanted the quest 2 to play the games library I already have in better definition with a better refresh rate and a lighter headset. I have never had any social media accounts. I realised that a facebook account is required for use of the quest 2 (and any new oculus account). I have been unable to set up this as a request to join has been disabled even though I have never posted anything or used the "service" - you cannot even link a headset to the app without going through entirely unnecessary reams of GPDR defiling information. Why do you need to know a family members cervical smear result, the cats stool sample, whether I dress to the right or left just to use this headset? This is technology at its worst - I don't expect a radio to decide if I can listen to a song or a home cinema system to decide if I am allowed to watch a film I already own, yet this oculus update renders for me the headset unusable as I cannot register an account - and use an appliance I have paid for and use games I have already paid for. It arrived yesterday I spent 4 hours trying to get the thing to allow me to use it. I have actually binned it as it is unusable, £400 literally thrown away. I will continue to use the inferior Quest 1 on an oculus account (until that is discontinued in 2023). Buyer beware , you are sacrificing God knows what personal information to God knows who for no justifiable reason. You are at the mercy of the data hoarders in this facebook experiment. Please wait until another company produces a stand alone VR set which will allow you the courtesy of using what you have paid for. Entirely unacceptable.

Prospective purchasers need to be very sure they want to risk owning an Oculus Quest 2.You are required to have a working facebook account to use the device, despite having a FB account in long good standing, I had not used it for some years, and it had been locked. I am unable to activate the headset at all. Facebook customer service is non-existant, if they decide to lock your account, you have no resource to resolve the issue, their decision is final.Facebook's terms and conditions require that you use your real name to make an account, and ID details, this means that you cannot simply create a new facebook account without the risk of loosing access to not only the device, but any software purchased for it.There a great number of people in a similar situation posting on popular forums such as reddit, and that number is increasing at an alarming rate, either having facebook accounts locked and loosing access to large game libraries and the headset, or simply not being able to get the headset working in the fist place. This may also disable existing Quest 1, Rift and CV headsets once the existing Oculus account is irreversibly linked with a facebook account.If you can live with having a £300+ piece of hardware and associated software being arbitrarily rendered useless with no recourse, maybe the quest 2 is for you, otherwise look for a HMD from another manufacturer without such opaque and destructive practices.

Even though Oculus is allowed to run until 2023 if you already have an account, this particular device, the Quest 2, doesn't allow Oculus accounts, YOU HAVE to link to a Facebook account. I'd understand if it was a Google account or an Apple account, companies that provide services to everyday life, but Facebook provides nothing to everyday life, so a lot of people have no need or want to create an account. But if you buy this, you have to!I'm still debating if I should sign up to one of the worst websites on the internet just to use this VR headset.

This review will follow the same format as my previous review on the Oculus 2 and comparisons will be made, though I will cater for those who are unfamiliar with the the Quest and / or VR too.My Oculus Quest 2 256gb arrived a few hours ago. I swore to myself I do my work, though I found myself opening it within half an hour or so and there I was again experiencing the virtual world ironically within a world which is currently in chaos.————————UNBOXING / HEADSETThe box (pictured) comprises of a cellophane wrapped outer sleeve covering a nice looking natural coloured box (pictured) with a liftable lid. It feel like quality of reminiscent of Mac products.Inside the box, in their own neatly arranged compartments are the headset, the controllers, quick start guide and USB 3 cable and power supply in a small box and a spacer to place on the unit for those who wear glasses.Picking up the headset, I could feel that it was quiet compact - notably smaller to the previous Quest, but this was largely due to the fact that the rigid, rubber head strap has been replaced by a fabric one. In light of this fact, I actually feel like the Quest 2 resembles that of the Quest Go since this also had a fabric strap. With that point in mind, the Quest 2 headset (being a smaller unit too) feel like a Go / Quest hybrid.Not only does the headset feel light, but smaller and a lot more easier to handle. The fabric strap might be seen as a cheaper solution, but I think it’s a much more effective one, especially when factoring in comfort, since it is, without question, a lot more comfortable than the previous Quest. This is perhaps largely due to the fact that the unit isn’t as heavy. A heavy headset would demand something more than a fabric strap, so this is something Oculus have managed to escape.There’s an ‘Elite Strap’ available for the Oculus 2 at £49 and I was going to purchase it for delivery with the Quest 2, but having felt how light and comfortable the unit is, I don’t feel any need for this at all. Perhaps those people who play high paced games might find use for it however. There’s a version at £119 which offer a battery mounted version to extend battery life (plus a carry case), so I do imagine this to be useful, particularly for those people who play on the move and / or wish to avoid being wired in.EDIT: Having used for hours now, the side bands sometimes saw into the tops of my ears which is a slight irritant, but excusable.The nose bridge of the Quest 2 is considerably tighter and can be felt more, but this comes with the advantage that it block out more light, thus adding to the immersiveness.The colour of the headset (and controllers) isn’t white as I initially assumed - rather a very light grey. The surround looks white when remove from the box, but this is in fact a paper covering which is removed.Overall the headset, besides feeling compact, has a better feel due to more pleasing curves. The front is like a rounded bean shape, featuring no level surface area. The unit is fully plastic ridding of the previous material sides of the previous Quest which gathered grime and sweat. Similar padding is present however though there is less of the foam in comparison to the original Quest. The Quest 2 substitutes half of that previous foam with a plastic adjoining the headset and foam. It’s an improvement to minimise foam, but I feel rubber is best utilised for both its durability and waterproof quality. I do think that soaking sweat might actually be part of the idea, much like a headband however…The headset features the power button at the right hand side (whilst wearing), the a USB 3 (charging and PC data) at the left hand side together with a 3.5mm jack for headphones. A volume rocker button features at the bottom right of the unit.———————TOUCH CONTROLLERSHolding the first controller in my hand, I could tell that it too was larger. Even as a person with large hands, I did question if this size was necessary, especially considering that many suers will have smaller hands than myself. Nonetheless, it may just be a matter of time in order to get used to them, being accustomed to the smaller Quest controllers.Buttons are further apart and the top face, previously a teardrop shape is now circular and features a place where the user can rest their thumb.As before, we have a ‘Y’ and ‘X’ buttons and thumb controller on each, including an Oculus button to recalibrate and return to the home screen. There’s also a ‘thumb pad’ in which to rest your thumb on which seems somewhat unnecessary in my eyes - or at least not a good reason to extend the top face.The grip is different in reflection of the size difference and reportedly the triggers are ‘easier to use’ though they feel the same as the Quest to me - good quality and they do the job.The controllers thankfully still take an AA battery in each one and they come installed with one. Simply slide out the plastic tabs and the batteries make their connection and the controllers are ready to use. Apparently greater attention was given to ensure that the battery compartment slider doesn’t slide off during frantic gameplay as it supposedly did with the Quest, though this never did happen to me.Most notably in the specs, ‘Haptic Feedback’ is stated as a feature in which the rumble function in the controllers is meant to be more dynamic differentiating between a figurative finger tap in contrast to a clash of swords. I’m yet to experience a difference here, but reminding myself, I will be more aware of report back.——————STARTING UP ***SPOILERS***Switching on the headset I was greeted with the introduction which shows graphics / animations pertaining to button use and Oculus Guardian setup. For those unfamiliar with VR, Guardian setup is a virtual line which is draw around the room (with the controller) with the threshold set at point where you might bump into things.At this point, I feel it was at least half of the ‘moment of truth’. Immediately I was judging the graphics at this point (explained below), but wasn’t overly impressed.After setup I found myself in the default Environment and the first thing I noticed is that the dashboard and everything else is much smaller. Controls and navigation has changed too and not for the better in my opinion. I’m sure I will get used to this, but I was just appreciating how good the huge console was on the previous Oculus.The controls are mere symbols now without text, so as a new user you’d have to go by trial and error rather than knowing what you are pressing. I’d hope there is a setting to make this otherwise.The previous Quest segued into a great little game which demo’ed the systems capabilities after the setup. It’s a shame that the Quest 2 didn’t do similar, though they may do that in the future.—————IMAGE QUALITYThere are going to be two distinct people with regards to how image will be judged. First there are those who will compare against the Quest and those who will just be amazed as a first time VR user.Some might say that Quest users have already been ‘spoiled’ but it’s still ultimately a matter of how the Quest technology has improved. So, the burning question is; Did the quality of the image blow me away as a previous Quest user? …..to which the answer is a definite ‘no’.Firstly, the setup screen (mostly white and pastels colours) wasn’t giving me enough imagery to judge, though my opinion still remains the same having ventured in.Next, I observed blur - mostly at the sides and then cam the revelation that the lenses could be adjusted after reading the cardboard tabs I’d removed containing the instruction to do so. There’s a 3 point adjuster in which you grab one (or both) of the tense which move together through a range of 3 positions.The good news is, the lens adjustment did help to relieve a 50% of the blur, but on the other hand, the position of the lenses to which my eyes witnessed this (at the far extremes - right and left) causes black ‘walls’ at either side. Pulling the lenses inwards makes it look like you are looking out of a porthole (as many are used to).So, the ultimatum I have is to have 50% less blur viewing the ‘walls’, or put up with the blur whilst looking through the ‘porthole’. For now, I’ve chosen the latter. This may just be a consequence of offering adjustment options (it may be a blessing for some).At the extreme lens settings there was also a notable central glare across all colour backdrops.With that issue aside, to allow fair judgement, I put on my previous Oculus and observed the difference. The Quest 2 in COMPARISON is notably better, even with the blur issue present.So, I feel that is the conclusion. Previous Quest users will notice the difference probably not initially but when they do a comparison. I’m glad I didn’t sell my Quest too too to allow me to do this and appreciate the difference. Granted, some may notice the difference right off the bat.The Oculus 2, much like the one before it, features 4 cameras on the front of the headset used to track the controllers. There is also an option to view your real surrounding whilst the virtual graphics are placed on top i.e Augmented Reality. I was very surprised to discover that despite the potential of AR, they still hadn't brought these cameras up to an acceptable resolutions - only the same poor resolution needed for controller tracking alone.Colours are as vivid as the Quest - rich and pleasing.The Oculus 2 is 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye (50% increase in resolution over the original Quest).EDIT: Having played for a good few hours now, I can say with confidence that this is a significant improvement in the graphics department....viewing object CLOSE UP. This here is the clincher for all VR clarity. The very limit of the graphics are show when you look at things right next to the eyes, sync as holding up a weapon in a game. I noticed this in a big way when I bought and played Walkabout Mini Golf and viewing the course and it's detail from a birds eyes view. Absolutely intriguing. Crisp as 4K!There's no question about it, we've reached a level of normal displays where we can beat our our retinas (hence Apples 'Retina' monitor) however we still need that ongoing advancement in technology to make things in the middle / background crisp too!—————SOUNDCrisp, clear and quality. I did feel that it was better than the Quest sound quality, though it was up full volume whereas I usually listen at half that volume.Still, there seems to be a slight improvement. Highs, low and midrange are on point, making experiences aurally immersive.I will be experimenting with my Sennheiser 650 headphones soon too.——————APPS & GAMES / PERFORMANCEBeing a new system, the cupboard was bare with regards to downloaded titles, but there was plenty on offer to download besides my older catalogues of games which I was pleased to see.When the Quest launched, there was only around 8 games, so those entering into the Quest 2 scene will do so at a good time since there’s plenty on the store now and there’s a lot of free content to enjoy too.Even in the virtual space, the head tracking is noticeably better. Even though i noticed no latency with the Quest, there is just a level of quality to the movement which is difficult to describe. Basically it’s just a greater sense of reality. I expect this feel to perhaps increase, at least in high speed apps and games when the refresh rate is increased. Facebook have revealed that it’s currently set at 72Hz yet will be increased up to 90Hz.Before I bought a Quest 2, I asked around YouTube to ask whether my apps and games purchased for the Quest would be carried over to the Quest 2. This was confirmed on the condition that I linked / merged my Facebook account to my Oculus account, which I did. As mentioned, all my games was there and I download a good few of them at lightening speed but was gutted to discover that save games are NOT carried over. I had hopes of continuing my vast progress on Mini Moto Racing X, but this is seemingly not to be.Nonetheless, open opening Mini Moto Racing X and the graphics are notably most crisp and the experience was improved overall. I found myself glancing around the environment actually delaying the race just to appreciate it (after viewing on the Quest 20 mins previous). Next I tried out Pistol Whip and put not only the graphics to the text, but also the head tracking which improved the game considerably. The improvement in the graphics could be seen even from the menu screen and bettered itself as the game continued.One prominent feature of the Quest 2 is its ability to be hooked to a PC. My only intention is to play independently though I would have tested for the sake of my review, though I’m strictly a Mac user at present due to work.The refresh rate of the Oculus Quest is up to 90HzThe launch refresh rate is 72HzEDIT: Besides my previous games, I’ve bought and played Walkabout Mini Golf and it’s the most realistic thing (besides table tennis) that I’ve witnessed to date. It feels like a proper game of mini golf. The physics are absolutely spot on. I’ve also experience RezInfinite and was blown away, literally saying ‘wow’ - completely unlike me.——————FINAL THOUGHTSAs a previous Quest owner, I’m pleased with my upgrade. Due to the fact that saved games are not carried over however, I will still be keeping the Quest for now, since I’ll have to play my games on that system.As a conditioned VR user, in light of these ‘walls’ and ‘porthole’ that I mention, I do hope that more focus is placed upon trying to increase the field of view. I don’t know anything about the technicalities and problems relating to making this happen, but I feel ridding of those ‘sides’ is going to bring immersiveness well into the next level. What's more, the front cameras could easily be a much better resolution to open upon potential and future proof augmented reality. As far as I'm aware, those aren't special cameras and cameras in this day an age are not expensive, so to have a VR headset boast AR capabilities too shouldn't be too much to expect.For those entering into VR for the first time, or even from something like the Oculus Go which only tracks a hand movement, there’s probably no better way than to enter in than via the Oculus 2. You’re getting the full VR experience in which you can roam around a room, you’re getting great visuals and what’s more, you have access to a load of titles, whether it be experiences (apps) or games that you are interested in.If you’re on the move, or like to have many apps and games available to you quickly and easily, you may wish to consider the 256GB version for the extra £100. Most importantly, if we consider that fact that apps will become larger and larger in file size, it’s a future proof option. If you are just dipping in your toe as a first time user however the 128GB might serve you fine.As mentioned, I think it’s a ‘quest’ for technology to eventually yield graphics that are as crisp in the middle and background as they are ‘up close’ and I really look forward to that.Virtual Reality is going to become astronomical. It’s great to be part of its advancement.The Quest 2 is up there with the best hardware in which to currently experience it!——————Advantages* Objects 'up close' are near 4K crisp* Room-scale freedom (as in the original Quest)* PC Connectivity though no PC required* Haptic Feedback (yet to witness)* Vast range of titles on launch* Greater feeling of being in a ‘reality’.* Sharper image with much greater feel of depth* More responsive head tracking* Much more comfortable & easy to fit* Good battery life* Charges quickly enough (approx 2.5 hours)Disadvantages* Front cameras still a poor resolution marring Augmented Reality potential* Lens adjustment results in ‘walls’ at extremes* Lens adjustment results in central glare at inners* Side straps saw into ears* Physical games cause the padding to soak in sweat* Facebook account is required