Meta Quest 2 - Advanced All-In-One VR Headset - 256 GB

This is the first time I have owned a VR headset and so I cannot compare this to other models. For the price I feel it is a great ‘entry level’ into the VR world. So far I am delighted with it! Yes, you have to link it to a Facebook account. For me, I just don’t care about this. You can choose your privacy options and I just selected I didn’t want to publish what I was doing on my Facebook account. In regards to ‘data mining’, again I just do not care. I have had my 256Gb Quest 2 for three weeks now and I have had many hours of fun playing it. My girlfriend has also enjoyed watching me (using a Google Chromecast casting to our TV), especially the excellent game Five Nights at Freddie’s which is terrifying to play. I do have issues with the casting, as there is a (roughly) 0.5s delay between actual audio/visual gameplay and what is transmitted to the TV, but I understand this will be an issue when wirelessly casting data like this.The games I have downloaded are great fun. These include Beat Saber, Pistol Whip, Robo Recall and Five Nights at Freddie’s. You really get lost in the VR environments and it reminds me of the kind of arcade games I grew up with in the 90s (except ramped up 1000x). I do wish there were more Horror games though, as I feel that these are particularly fun to play. After much deliberation I chose the 256Gb version over the 64Gb. My reasoning being I would rather have too much space than too little. The games tend to be between 800MB - 5/6GB, however I expect newer releases to be closer to the latter.I have found the battery life is probably around 2 hours with intense play, although I’ve never timed it. This hasn’t been an issue for me as after about 30mins to an hour I’m mentally and physically exhausted.I think the worst features of the headset are the foam facial interface and the strap that come as standard with the product. The facial interface isn’t particularly soft/spongy and after 20-30mins it starts to ache around the forehead. I think this is in part due to the material but also because of the cheap (cost-saving) strap. The strap works, but it doesn’t provide a comfortable fit and, as with other reviews, it does tend to put pressure on the tops of the ears after a short while. Today I received the Elite Strap with battery pack and the difference is incredible. I would definitely recommend purchasing this as an add-on. I will be reviewing this separately. I will also be buying a different facial interface, probably from VRcover.com, when one is available.Overall I think this is an excellent entry-level VR headset (although specs-wise, this isn’t entry level), based upon my limited VR experience. Hardcore VR users may disagree. For the extra £120 I think the Elite Strap with battery pack (and case) is worth the money. The strap, at least, is essential to improve comfort. In terms of the 64Gb vs 256Gb, this will depend on your preference and whether you think £100 extra for quadruple the storage is worthwhile. Obviously when you add up these ‘extras’ the headset suddenly isn’t quite as cheap as you would hope.

I wanted to get into VR as it’s definitely a growing market in gaming with loads of awesome games now, but the my PC isn’t fast enough to support a wired VR headset like the Rift. Making the Quest a very nice option as a first time VR experience and making it very portable to use as my room has limited space so being able to take it into any space I like (just not outside in the sun) is pretty cool. First time use was good with setting up my Facebook account and loading up the Oculus demos to get adjusted to VR.If anyone is reading this and is thinking of getting any VR set and you have glasses. Please use the glasses spacer provided in the box, I stupidly assumed because I was near sighted that I wouldn’t need that and my eyes would be fine looking at a screen closeup. I was so wrong, just by putting on my long distance glasses the screen was instantly sharper and I could focus on 3D objects much better. I should have done it from the start so don’t do what I did!I get why people complain about the strap that is included with the Quest and I’ll say it isn’t that bad. Sure it doesn’t offer the best comfort of secure ness on your head for the quest but they had to cut a cost somewhere right. For me, i haven’t found it unbearable and haven’t seen a need to upgrade to the elite strap. Maybe in the future I’ll get one and look back on the pain the original strap caused unknowingly.PCVR does work well with the headset. I can’t say too much on it though as my pc can barely run VR titles. However, if you don’t want the official oculus cable as it is so expensive. Their are plenty of alternatives on this site which will do fine at a much lower cost.The 4K screen does make for a very clear and fun experience with bring the reality of the game world closer. The IPD adjustment is limited though to three options so anyone with a specific liking that is not an option here might find it a deal breaker if you already have a Rift or Quest 1.The battery life is short. Running a VR capable PC on your face does not make it surprising that even playing beat saber which is not a demanding VR title will last you to 2 - 2 and half hours. Oculus does sell the elite strap with a battery pack included to extend that to 5-6 but there are ways to extend it with your own battery pack and a simple hack of Velcro attachment or keeping it in your pocket while playing. I would recommend looking up what batter packs are best for the quest and the different methods of ensuring the battery is not damaged in the short term.Overall, I Would definitely recommend for a first timer or experienced VR enthusiast if you want portability and decent performance that doesn’t come at a ridiculous cost. Yes this might not have all the VR capabilities some people may want, but if your like me who doesn’t have a BR capable PC but still wants the experience than I would definitely give this a look!