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 second product in the Quest line, the aptly titled Quest 2, was released on October 13, 2020. The Quest 2 boasts better resolution, a higher refresh rate (once enabled; the default 72Hz is the same as the original's), 2GB more RAM, a faster processor (Snapdragon XR2) and either a lower price or better storage than the original. The 128GB model (64GB on launch, this capacity was phased out within the year) runs for $299, while the model with bigger storage is 256GB and $399 this time around. All of this does come with a few compromises, as the Quest 2's strap and interpupillary distance controls have been noticeably downgraded from the previous model (though the strap is designed to be replaceable, meaning aftermarket straps are much more viable than they were for the Quest 1). The Quest 2 experienced some controversy at launch as it's the first Oculus device that requires a full-fledged Facebook account to operate; an Oculus account will not do on its own. A VR port of Resident Evil 4 was the first official release that required a Quest 2, though the game does work when sideloaded onto a Quest 1.
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.
As of March 2021, the Quest 2 was the most popular virtual reality headset on Steam VR. This does not count Quest owners who don't use Steam VR, particularly those without gaming PCs at all. Immediately after this information was released, The Climb 2 became the first series to transition from a PCVR franchise with a Quest port to a Quest exclusive.
The Quest has an extensive modding and homebrew scene. In addition to the main Oculus store, experimental games are available via the AppLab platform, serving as a roughly analogous marketplace to Steam Early Access. There is also a dedicated side-loading community called SideQuest, featuring unofficial content (primarily original games, mods, and unofficial ports).
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
- Five Nights At Freddys VR Help Wanted
- Fruit Ninja VR
- Fuji
- Gorn: Visceral Reality
- Ghost Giant
- Half + Half
- I Expect You To Die
- Job Simulator
- Jurassic World Aftermath
- Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
- Myst
- Onward
- Moss
- Pistol Whip
- Rec Room
- Resident Evil 4 (Quest 2 only)
- Robo Recall
- Sam & Max: This Time It’s Virtual!
- Shadow Point
- Space Pirate Trainer
- SUPERHOT VR
- Tetris Effect
- Trover Saves the Universe
- 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)
- Virtual Desktop (local PC streaming, including PCVR)
360 Video Players:
- Within
- YouTube VR
- Samsung VR Videos
- Wander
Flat video players:
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime Video
- Bigscreen Beta
Social VR apps:
- AltspaceVR
- Oculus Venues
- Rec Room
- VR Chat
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:
- Doom³
- Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location
- Half-Life
- Minecraft (Bedrock Edition; by sideloading Oculus Go version)
- Quake
- Quake II
- Return to Castle Wolfenstein (All available via sideloading a free version of the game's engine made to work on the Quest plus asset files from a PC copy.)
- Slender: The Eight Pages
