07/04/24 (NEW PHOTO ADDED WITH DEBUG TOOL SETTINGS, AS APPEARANCE CHANGED SLIGHTLY DUE TO UPDATES. COMPARISON WITH QUEST 3 COMING SOON)
OCULUS/META QUEST 2 REVIEW! 2024 (FULL GUIDE + TIPS)!
INFORMATION:
The product was purchased in late November 2022 and I use it to play games on the computer (PCVR) (my first VR).
INITIALLY
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When I bought it, I was amazed (like most people). Virtual reality is an amazing phenomenon, although still in its early stages, I would say. It deceives you and makes you feel like you are in another world!
WHAT MAKES QUEST 2 STAND OUT FROM OTHER VR HEADSETS?
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Quest 2 is standalone and can operate on its own wherever you go without needing a computer (unless you want to play PCVR games). It has its own applications such as YouTube VR, Instagram VR, and a game store from which you can buy games to play, while other VR headsets require a computer to function. And finally, let's not forget that Quest 2 has been designated as the best VR on the market so far and has a reasonable price compared to other headsets.
THE GOOD (+)
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+ the best headset on the market so far (in power, price, software).
+ the battery is satisfactory. It can be improved with a strap (head accessory) that has an extra battery.
+ simple and nice controllers.
+ Android software.
+ many functions and applications.
+ suitable for games / watching videos/movies.
+ ability to connect to a computer (for games, browsing, etc.) (either wirelessly or with a cable).
+ moderate to good resolution for a standalone device (see below on how to improve the resolution for standalone operation + use with a computer).
+ still receives updates that improve performance, fix bugs, and add new features like hand tracking and many more.
THE BAD (-)
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-The simple headstrap is not very convenient on the head, forcing you to buy extra accessories to improve your experience + cable for the computer. i.e. extra cost.
-Expensive price (the price of the VR has increased significantly in recent months).
-A lot of hassle to improve the resolution of the headset on the computer, literally burned my brain and had many problems. (fortunately, I solved them, and I will explain them below so you don't have trouble)
-Expensive games in the standalone system (under $30 a little difficult)
FOR THOSE WHO WANT VR FOR STANDALONE USE WITHOUT A COMPUTER:
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-You will need to spend a lot of money on games because unfortunately in its store they are relatively expensive. I know and fully understand that not everyone has a problem with prices, but it would be good to mention it for everyone.
-As I said before, its system has a browser, YouTube, Instagram, and other applications, so you are perfectly covered!
-Possibility of improving resolution through the sidequest application (Easy Installer) via USB cable on a regular computer, as long as it has Windows 10 and a USB-C port using the charging cable that comes with the Quest 2 (usually laptops have it, otherwise you will need a USB-C male - A male if it is a desktop tower).
FOR THOSE WHO WANT IT FOR USE WITH A COMPUTER (PCVR GAMES)
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READ THE ENTIRE PARAGRAPH!!!!
For those who want to get the Quest 2 exclusively to play on the computer:
-Make sure your computer has a motherboard + processor (CPU) + graphics card (GPU) that is VR ready, as well as all the latest updates (UPDATES) on Windows 10/11 and the AMD/NVIDIA/INTEL drivers. (IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE POWER OF YOUR COMPUTER, DOWNLOAD THE STEAMVR PERFORMANCE TEST AND CHECK WHAT IT WILL TELL YOU)
-You will need to get a Type C - C cable or a USB-C male - A male cable that is at least 5 meters long. (CAUTION! THE CABLE IS NOT RANDOM!!!! IT MUST HAVE A SPEED OF 5GBPS AND THE USB PORT MUST BE 3.0+ AND ABOVE. NOT BELOW 3)
-You have the option to buy Steam games for a better price (if you do a good search, write: (game) steam key cheap and it will show you nice things)
IS IT WORTH IT OR NOT?
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The Quest 2 is worth every penny, even though its price is a bit high now. The Quest 2, besides games, allows you to watch videos on YouTube, search the internet, or connect to the computer. In short, YES, IT IS WORTH IT FOR BOTH STANDALONE USE AND USE WITH A COMPUTER. IF YOU FIND IT FOR LESS THAN $480, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, GRAB IT AS IT IS.
CAUTION!
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1) THE STORAGE CAPACITY (64, 128, 256 GB) APPLIES ONLY TO THOSE WHO USE THIS PRODUCT STANDALONE (WITHOUT A COMPUTER). FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN USING IT WITH A COMPUTER, BUY THE CHEAPEST VERSION (128 GB) BECAUSE THE GAMES WILL BE DOWNLOADED ONTO THE COMPUTER AND NOT ON THE QUEST SYSTEM.
2) YOU NO LONGER NEED A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT TO USE VR. AN EMAIL IS ENOUGH.
3) THE MICROPHONE IS OPEN BY DEFAULT, IF YOU DON'T WANT OTHERS TO HEAR YOU IN GAMES, MAKE SURE TO CLOSE IT FROM THE MENU.
4) FOR USE WITH A COMPUTER (VIA CABLE), DO NOT BUY THE OFFICIAL CABLE FOR $80-90, (+ IT IS TYPE C, A PORT THAT LAPTOPS USUALLY HAVE, NOT DESKTOP TOWERS). ANY USB C MALE - A MALE (OR C FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THE PORT) CABLE WITH A SPEED OF 5GBPS WILL DO.
5) FOR WIRELESS USE WITH A COMPUTER, THE APPLICATION CALLED VIRTUAL DESKTOP DOES NOT IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OR RESOLUTION OF YOUR COMPUTER. THOSE WHO CLAIM OTHERWISE HAVE NO IDEA. OCULUS HAS ITS OWN FUNCTION TO CONNECT WIRELESSLY. (Connecting with the cable is the best option)
6) YOU WILL NEED ADEQUATE SPACE, OTHERWISE THERE IS A RISK OF INJURY/DAMAGE.
7) YOU CAN EASILY FIND HEADSTRAPS AND OTHER ACCESSORIES (Because it is not allowed by Skroutz's policy to mention other stores, simply write "ali" (without the quotes) and let Google show you the solution :)
TIPS FOR STANDALONE USERS:
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1) YOU CAN IMPROVE THE RESOLUTION! Just make sure you have a tower/laptop with Windows 10+, the Oculus app, the SideQuest Easy Installer app (the app that improves resolution), and a USB 3 port (you can use the Oculus charging cable if you have a USB C port, otherwise get a USB C male - A male cable). Connect the Oculus and choose a resolution (personally, I choose 90Hz and the second-to-last resolution, 2560). Search SideQuest for instructional videos.
TIPS FOR PCVR
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1) To improve resolution, you won't use SideQuest (that's only for standalone devices), but instead use the Oculus app settings + Steam VR + the Oculus debug tool.
The settings I recommend (depending on the power of your computer!!!):
SteamVR settings: video -> resolution per eye: 130% (depending on the power of your computer)
Oculus: 350 bits (debug tool) (depending on the power of your computer)
Oculus app: 90Hz, 2560 resolution (depending on the power of your computer)
Regarding the Oculus debug tool:
To find it, you'll need to go to the following address:
C:\Program Files\Oculus\Support\oculus-diagnostics
You can either open File Explorer and follow the above address or simply press the Windows button + r and copy-paste the above address. Once you do that, open the application called Oculus Debug Tool.
Now, regarding the settings of the Oculus debug tool:
My settings are as follows (I have also uploaded a photo for convenience):
(in the Oculus Link category)
Distortion Curvature: Low (caution: low in this case doesn't mean it's bad or poor quality. Low gives good quality while high gives low quality)
Encode Resolution Width: 2560 (depending on the power of your computer)
Encode Bitrate Max: Default
Dynamic Bitrate Max: 0
Encode Bitrate (Mbps): 350 (The most important for resolution, be careful with this as it depends on the power of your computer. The max is 500.)
Dynamic Bitrate Offset (Mbps): 0
Link Sharpening: Auto
Mobile ASW: Auto
After you make the above settings (or your own), click on "File" (top left) and then click on the "Restart as Administrator" button, check if the settings were saved. Then click on "Service" (a little to the right) and click on "Restart Oculus Service". It would be good to make these settings first and then connect the Quest 2 to the computer.
2) You can get Steam games for a much better price if you search well. Read in the category FOR THOSE WHO WANT IT FOR USE WITH PCVR GAMES the last sentence)
3) For watching YouTube videos, it's better to access YouTube from your computer (via Quest Link, meaning connecting the Quest to your computer) because the app on the standalone Quest system has poor resolution.
RECOMMENDED GAMES/APPS
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For standalone:
-Pavlov Shack Beta (free, must have)
-youtube vr (free)
-netflix vr (free but requires an account)
-Battle Talent (free)
-I Expect You to Die: Home Sweet Home (free)
-Ancient Dungeon Beta (free)
-rec room (free)
-blade & sorcery nomad ($19.99)
-beat saber ($29.99)
-instagram vr (free)
-drunkn bar fight quest 2 ($17.99)
For PCVR:
-Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades (h3vr) ($19.99) (recommended for gun and shooting enthusiasts)
-fast and low ($20.99) (recommended for those who want to play as SWAT)
-pavlov ($20.99) (CSGO in VR and much more)
-hitman 3 vr
-blade & sorcery ($19.99)
-Bloodtrail ($20.99)
-rec room (free)
-boneworks ($28.99)
-half life alyx ($58.99)
-skyrim vr ($59.99)
-superhot vr ($22.99)
-contractors ($16.79)
-Roblox vr (some games, free)
-drunkn bar fight ($11.59)
-Payday 2 vr (great game, even without VR, $9.99)
-Espire 1 vr operative ($27.99, for stealth lovers, you can find it for $3 with some searching)
Last update: 7/04/24
-The photo showing the settings in the Oculus Debug Tool has been updated. The settings are the same, but due to updates, the appearance has changed slightly, so I had to refresh the photo to avoid any issues/confusion.
Very soon, I will write a new chapter that will provide a simple comparison with the Quest 3 and whether it's worth it or when it's worth buying/upgrading.
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If you read it until the end, thank you very much! I really hope I helped you.