Virtual Reality (VR) is gaining popularity worldwide, mainly thanks to the gaming scene. Games like Beat Saber, Half Life: Alyx, and Skyrim VR are among the most popular VR games that help introduce the technology to the mainstream gaming community. You will need a special headset to experience virtual reality in its glory. One such trinket is Facebook's (now Meta) Oculus Quest 2.

What is Oculus Quest 2?

In October 2020, Facebook launched the Oculus Quest 2, a direct successor to their previous VR headset, the Oculus Quest. Following Facebook's rebranding into Meta, the Quest 2 was rebranded as Meta Quest 2 in November 2021. However, the product's brand was the only thing that changed, as they are still the same product with the same specs and features.

The VR community largely hailed the Quest 2 as one of the best VR headsets available in the market. We agree with this, at least until Meta's next VR trinket dubbed Project Cambria sees the light of day. Nevertheless, the Quest 2 is a great headset for rookies and veteran VR players.

Like its predecessor, Quest 2 frees you from the hassle that is a PC-based VR setup like HTC Vive or Meta's own discontinued product Oculus Rift S. Since the hardware component of Quest 2 is in the headset itself, the only cable you'll see dangling from them probably comes from the charger or external headphone you use.

A Technological Upgrade

According to TechRadar, as the successor to the original Oculus Quest, the Quest 2 is everything that makes the Oculus Quest great and takes them to another level. The improved RAM and chip specs in the Quest 2 offer a more responsive experience. The higher-resolution display is 50% sharper than the original. You can now choose to run your games at either 90Hz or even 120Hz for a more immersive and realistic VR gaming experience.

The original Quest receives hand tracking features through a firmware update. Meanwhile, such a feature is hard-wired in Quest 2. Though it sometimes feels imperfect, Quest 2's hand tracking feature is a major improvement compared to the originals.

What Can You Do With It?

You can do a lot of things with the Oculus Quest 2. Kevin, The Tech Ninja, gave us a breakdown of what can we do with the headset in one of his YouTube videos:

• - Adjust the lenses in three settings: 58mm, 63mm, or 68mm to fit your eye size.
• - It has a built-in speaker, but for a better audio experience, you better plug in a headphone through the standard 3.5mm audio jack.
• - You can cast your VR image to external displays, monitors, or TVs to share your experience with friends or families. You can do this in two ways: direct casting using external displays with a built-in VR casting program or go to www.oculus.com/casting to stream the VR image to your smartphone or computer. Alternatively, you can press the casting button from the official Oculus app for your smartphone.
• - One of the best features of the Oculus app is when you download something (like an app or game) in the Oculus app, and the downloaded content will go straight to the headset.
• - Don't forget to turn on the double-tap feature under the Boundary setting. When active, double-tapping the headset will make your headset display the real world instead of the game/app screen.
• - You can install the adjustable headphone strap/battery combo for additional comfort and battery life. Remember that this is a separate product from your headset and, therefore, totally optional.

Does Oculus Quest 2 Come with Free Games?

If what you mean as "comes with free games" is "preinstalled with games," the answer is no; the Quest 2 does not come preinstalled with games. However, there are dozens of decent free games you can download from the Oculus Store. Their free game collection is quite varying in genres, from meditation apps to shooter games, from fitness titles to puzzle games. Head to the Oculus Store via headset or the Oculus app and install the free games of your liking to the headset.

Can I Watch Netflix or Disney plus?

Aside from playing games, you can also use your Quest 2 to watch multimedia content like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, etc. There are two ways you can use streaming services with your Quest 2: using a native app or the built-in Oculus Browser. So far, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are the only streaming services with a native app for the Quest 2. Install the app to your headset, login to your account, and voila! Now you can watch your favorite movies or web series in VR.

For streaming services without a native app for Quest 2, you can use the Oculus Browser. For example, if you want to watch the latest episode of Ms. Marvel on Disney+ using your headset, simply login to your Disney+ account as you would on a computer. The same goes for Hulu, Peacock, and other streaming services. Merely open the Oculus Browser, access their homepage, log in to your account, and enjoy your movies.

Afterwords: Is It Worth the Price?

The year 2022 marks the 2nd anniversary of this king of VR headset. Until Meta's Project Cambria is released to the public, the Oculus Quest 2 or Meta Quest 2 will still dominate the competition. With $299 for the 128GB version and $399 for the 256GB version, excluding taxes, Quest 2 is still one of the most affordable VR headsets on the market. But is it worth the price?

Well, at least this article from CNN thinks so. The Quest 2 still has the largest libraries of VR apps and games. It's easy to use and set up—turn it on, plug in your earphone or headphone, and enjoy the VR experience. The various software updates throughout its existence are improving your virtual experience. So, yes. It is worth the price.