What You Should Know Before Buying an Oculus Quest 2

Technologies do not stand still, and what seemed like science fiction yesterday is already implemented and presented on the market by a variety of consumer devices of various price categories. In this short article, you will get acquainted with the real review of the owner of the budget virtual reality helmet Oculus Quest 2 and find out what pitfalls popular bloggers are silent about.

Sorry, but you are from Russia

The problem that you will immediately encounter after purchasing the Oculus Quest 2 is the programmed forced update of the helmet when it is first turned on and the confusing account registration, followed by the mandatory binding of the device to it. Due to the fact that the services that ensure the operation of updating and linking the device belong to the Meta (Extremist organization banned in Russia) servers, without a VPN you simply will not be able to activate and update the helmet from Russia. Unaware of all these subtleties, the owner of a brand new VR helmet will see an eternal zero on the loading screen without the ability to do anything. It took me more than 6 hours of dancing with a tambourine before I managed to figure out the confusing registration and find a working VPN to overcome all these difficulties.

Face control

The second important disadvantage, which most bloggers prefer to remain silent about, is the incompatibility of the device with many people. In order to provide an immersive effect and a clear, not blurry picture, it is necessary to set the IPD (Interpupillary Distance) values ​​​​in the helmet corresponding to the real value of the device owner.

In Oculus Quest 2, this setting is mechanical and consists of the 3 most common IPD values:

• Preset 1 — 58 mm.

• Preset 2 — 63 mm.

• Preset 3 — 68 mm.

However, humanity does not consist of an army of clones and everyone has a completely different head. Personally, I had an IPD value of 67 mm, which even at preset 3 caused blurry text and lost the immersion effect.

Fortunately, it’s still at least a little dreary, but the helmet allows you to set intermediate values. However, as I mentioned above, for many people, these values ​​u200bu200bmay go beyond 68 mm or not reach 58 mm at all. So, before buying an Oculus Quest 2, it will not be superfluous to find out the values ​​u200bu200bof your IPD using the ruler or the free GlassesOn application.

Fastening

The next disadvantage, which is just as important as the exact installation of the IPD, is the mounting of the device on the user’s head. Unlike the thoughtful rubber mount of Oculus Quest 1, where it was clear how to fasten the helmet, in Oculus Quest 2 they decided to save on it and changed the mount to ordinary elastic bands with ties, which is completely unclear how to adjust on the head.

Only on the 3rd day of torment and getting to know my head with a razor did I manage to properly fix the helmet. But even then, the standard mount caused discomfort with its pressure on the bridge of the nose and the back of the head. The way out was to buy a separate adjustable mount BoboVR M2 Plus.

The weight finally began to be correctly distributed over the entire head, and nothing else pressed. In short, get ready to spend around $40-50 extra if you don’t want to be in pain and constantly adjusting your rubber bands.

mosquito net

Maybe my near vision is too good. Nevertheless, despite all the manufacturer’s assurances about the resolution, which is almost one and a half times increased compared to the Oculus Rift, and the Oculus Quest 2 has 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye, I see a grid, although small, but still. This grid is not very noticeable in fast-paced games, but even when playing video at 8K resolution and at a crazy bit rate, the picture looks like a warm hello from the days of CRT monitors. A little frustrating.

So I honestly do not understand all those people who advise to buy Oculus Quest 2 for 360° panoramic video. Of course, when you’re just watching a flat 4K movie with glasses, sitting in a virtual theater in the back row, the immersive effect is beyond praise. But when your priority is slutty maidens and skydiving on YouTube, then everything becomes more than sad.

Games and software

The device manufacturer’s store is a separate story. Not only is there not so much free software and games in the company store for the 3 year life of the helmet, so many of them are also tied to Meta IP addresses (an extremist organization banned in Russia).

When downloading and running the free standalone version of VRChat, be prepared to constantly use a VPN on your router or set up a third-party DNS, because launching without access to the helmet manufacturer’s servers will only result in a crash of the application. Do you feel? Already some kind of protection from the time of Assassins Creed II breathed. However, not everything is so bad, because as usual, when a multi-billion dollar company cannot, enthusiasts get down to business. The peculiarity of the Oculus Quest 2 is that it is, in fact, a regular Android phone, where after getting the developer mode, you can install anything you want.

The main legal third-party platforms for obtaining content are SideQuest and App Lab, which act as a full-fledged Steam for VR helmets. Thousands of new products and many gaming classics adapted for VR are already waiting for the owners of a revolutionary device!

Non-meditative gameplay

Obviously, with the advent of VR, the boundaries of the gameplay have expanded. However, you have no idea how much it is tied to your health. Most of the popular Oculus Quest 2 games focus on the player’s movements and force your heart and entire muscle group to work, as if in an active cardio workout. After logging in to Beat Saber for half an hour, you can be sure that half a liter of sweat will come off you. Therefore, if you are not a sports fan and are accustomed to relaxing in a comfortable chair after a hard day’s work, playing World of Tanks, then it is better to bypass Oculus Quest 2.

I will describe my situation. For a long time, going to the gym turned into a second job for me, which I forced myself to do through force. I didn’t feel joy. But after purchasing the Oculus Quest 2, I immediately abandoned my trips, because in the helmet I felt that forgotten feeling when you see the meaning in hard repetitive actions, and the flame of passion plays like the first time. You’re sweating, your heart is beating like hell, your breath is ragged, but you’re happy!

In less than 4 weeks after buying a VR helmet, I managed to lose 7.5 kg. So Oculus Quest 2 is a great multi-purpose trainer that will allow gamers around the world to turn into fierce athletes.

Dirt and sweat

The last thing worth mentioning before moving on to the conclusion is the hygiene of the device. Lenses and overlays will definitely get dirty. And if face pads should be treated as consumables that will have to be replaced sooner or later, then the lenses in Oculus Quest 2 should be cherished and cherished. Do not wipe them with alcohol-based solutions, as this will definitely damage them. Purchase a reusable, fine microfiber cloth from the store and wipe with it from time to time. So you save the lenses, and the device will delight you for more than one year.

Conclusion

Oculus Quest 2 is an amazing revolutionary device that, like everything new, contains many flaws. However, it gives a completely new feeling that allows you to look at familiar games from a completely different perspective and keep the gamer in constant good shape. A must-buy for all those who are tired of the classic gameplay or who are looking for a simulator that will never get bored!