Oculus Quest 2
Maximum PC|July 2021
Heralding the arrival of true consumer-ready VR gaming
NEIL MOHR
Oculus Quest 2

OCULUS REALLY HAS established itself as the king of VR, in spite of its onerous Facebook ownership. With only minor quibbles, the Oculus Quest 2 is a tour de force of VR consumer technology, delivering an easy-to-set-up, affordable, slick, cutting-edge consumer-level VR experience, which works as a standalone unit or as a PC-powered VR headset. In short, it checks all the boxes.

Perhaps we should deal with those quibbles. Firstly, the head strap is poor. The Quest 2 headset is quite heavy and the awkward-to-adjust soft strap doesn’t distribute the weight very well. It’s obviously a cost-cutting exercise because Oculus does sell an Elite Strap option. Secondly, a Facebook account is mandatory, which is an annoying and baffling move, especially considering Facebook’s recent record on privacy and security. Fewer quibbles and more points to know, the built-in speakers are acceptable—not very loud but clear and without distortion—and the controllers feel cheap, but are sturdy, and require just a single AA battery each.

Reviewed using the v28 firmware, the Quest 2 comes with wireless PC connectivity out of the box in the form of Oculus Air Link. Previously, PC link options consisted of using a compatible USB-C cable or the respected wireless-capable Virtual Desktop third-party app. The new wireless Air Link just works, and is every bit as good as Virtual Desktop, although it does lack its bells, whistles, and extended options.

REFRESHING NEWS

This story is from the July 2021 edition of Maximum PC.

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This story is from the July 2021 edition of Maximum PC.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.