Oculus Quest vs. Oculus Quest 2: what’s the difference?

Facebook just announced the Oculus Quest 2, a successor to its Quest virtual reality headset from 2019. At $299 for the base model, the new beefed-up and slimmed-down Quest is $100 cheaper than its predecessor. It’s also shipping within a few weeks: preorders opened today, and it will be available for purchase in 22 countries on October 13th. Facebook will retire its Oculus Rift S next year and the original Quest supply is already sold out in many places, so the Quest 2 will soon be the only option for Oculus headset buyers.

The Quest 2 has the same basic features as the Quest. It’s a self-contained VR headset that doesn’t require a gaming PC or any external tracking sensors. It uses four built-in cameras to let people move around in VR, and it ships with two Oculus Touch motion controllers as well as limited controller-free hand tracking. The Quest 2 and original Quest share a game library, and both can be tethered to a gaming PC with a USB-C cable, letting users play more graphically intensive games that were once limited to the Rift.

But the Quest 2 has some key upgrades as well. It’s got a much higher-resolution screen and a faster processor, as well as reduced weight and a more comfortable, optional head strap accessory. As a downside, it’s the first VR headset to require a Facebook account instead of a discrete Oculus account.

There aren’t many consumer-ready standalone headsets shipping in the US, so the Quest 2 doesn’t have a lot of direct competition. But here’s how it stacks up against the original Quest, plus some competing PC-based VR headsets.