The Oculus Quest, released in May 2019 for $399, is a standalone Virtual Reality headset, meaning that the headset itself contains all the electronics needed to drive it; it does not need to be connected to a phone or PC. Unlike its standalone predecessor, the Oculus Go, it has full positional tracking with two hand controllers, replicating the tracking capabilities of its PC VR cousin, the Oculus Rift. In early prototype incarnations it was known as Santa Cruz. Its launch was received with wide acclaim from press and enthusiasts alike, with Mashable rating it the "#1 Best Tech of 2019 (so far)".
It accomplishes all this without the use of any external sensors by using four small cameras and advanced computer vision processing to map your environment and track precisely where you are in it as you move around. The two hand controllers have a ring of invisible infrared LEDs that are also seen by the camera, allowing it to track them precisely through space, as long as the cameras can see them (they will temporarily lose tracking if placed behind your back, or too close to the headset). The Quest can be used almost anywhere except in direct sunlight or in complete darkness, and supports play spaces up to 25 by 25 feet. The Quest internally uses the same Snapdragon 835 mobile graphics chipset as the Google Pixel 2 phone, but with an active cooling system and a custom VR OS that allows it to effectively perform at a much higher level.
The flagship launch title of the Quest is Beat Saber, a mega-popular VR rhythm game where you slice cubes with light sabers in time to music. It launched with about 50 other titles, many of them ports from existing PC VR games. Additionally, it can stream VR games from a gaming PC over USB or wifi, allowing it to play any existing PC VR title.
The Quest has a subreddit
and a Facebook group. The app catalog is viewable in an web browser.
Notable Games with Oculus Quest support:
- Acron Attack Of The Squirrels
- Apex Construct
- Arizona Sunshine
- Beat Saber
- The Climb
- Creed: Rise to Glory
- Dance Central
- Dead and Buried II
- Epic Roller Coasters
- Fruit Ninja VR
- Fuji
- Half + Half
- I Expect You To Die
- Job Simulator
- Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
- Moss
- Rec Room
- Robo Recall
- Shadow Point
- Space Pirate Trainer
- SUPERHOT VR
- Tetris Effect
- Vacation Simulator
- Vader Immortal
Other apps of note:
- Firefox Reality (web browser)
- Mission: ISS (simulation)
- Nature Treks (meditation)
- Oculus Browser (web browser)
- Tilt Brush (3-D painting)
360 Video Players:
- Within
- YouTube VR
- Samsung VR Videos
- Wander
Flat video players:
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime Video
- Bigscreen Beta
Social VR apps:
- Altspace VR
- Oculus Venues
- Rec Room
Notable Websites with VR Content Suitable for the Quest:
- Mozilla Hubs Social VR
- Moon Rider Game
- Spot the Surveillance Surveillance Awareness
- Streetmix 3D Urban Planning
- Barista Express Simulation Game
- Vuppets Toy
- halloVReen Game
- VR Planets Simulation
- Notes on Blindness Documentary
- Elfland Glider Game
Games with unofficial Oculus Quest support currently available through sideloading:
- Minecraft (Bedrock Edition; by sideloading Oculus Go version)
