Oculus Quest 2 specs leak points to a massively upgraded VR headset
by Jon Fingas
Credit: Facebook Blueprint
- Facebook has inadvertently shared many of the details of the Oculus Quest 2.
- The new Android VR headset will include a much faster Snapdragon XR2 chip and “2K per eye” display tech.
- It will also have a refined design with an easy-fit strap and new controllers.
You don’t have to wait for an official announcement to learn what the Oculus Quest’s sequel will be like — Facebook has inadvertently shared much of the info in advance. Road to VR reports that Facebook posted (and since removed) Oculus Quest 2 demo videos revealing key specs, and the details point to a much-upgraded take on the stand-alone VR headset.
The Oculus Quest 2 will have much more powerful specs than its predecessor. The Android-based hardware will run on a Snapdragon XR2 chip with 6GB of RAM, a dramatic improvement over the 2017-era Snapdragon 835 and 4GB of RAM from the original. This should allow for more sophisticated games, according to Facebook. It should come with up to 256GB of storage.
You’ll also have a much clearer view of the virtual world. The Oculus Quest 2 will boast a resolution of “nearly 2K per eye,” or more than 50 percent more pixels (and thus more visual details) than on the original Quest. This might be a single large display instead of the two from the first Quest, but it should still lead to more immersive gaming with less of the “screen door” effect you get when you can see gaps between pixels.
The design appears to have been improved as well, with an easier-to-fit “soft touch strap,” new Touch controller ergonomics, and a lighter, smaller headset. It’s also expected to offer 3D audio, and out-of-the-box Oculus Link support will make the Quest 2 useful as a PC headset.
The Quest 2's price could be much lower than the $399 starting price for the first Quest.
There’s no mention of pricing or availability for the Oculus Quest 2, although a briefly available Walmart listing from August suggested the Quest 2 would start at $299 for a 64GB model and $399 for a 256GB version — much lower than the $399 starting price for the first Quest. Facebook’s Connect virtual conference is scheduled for September 16th, the same day as one of the demo videos was meant to premiere, so we’d expect to see Oculus Quest 2 news then.