Meta Quest 2 - Advanced All-In-One VR Headset - 256 GB

This is the first time I have owned a VR headset and so I cannot compare this to other models. For the price I feel it is a great ‘entry level’ into the VR world. So far I am delighted with it! Yes, you have to link it to a Facebook account. For me, I just don’t care about this. You can choose your privacy options and I just selected I didn’t want to publish what I was doing on my Facebook account. In regards to ‘data mining’, again I just do not care. I have had my 256Gb Quest 2 for three weeks now and I have had many hours of fun playing it. My girlfriend has also enjoyed watching me (using a Google Chromecast casting to our TV), especially the excellent game Five Nights at Freddie’s which is terrifying to play. I do have issues with the casting, as there is a (roughly) 0.5s delay between actual audio/visual gameplay and what is transmitted to the TV, but I understand this will be an issue when wirelessly casting data like this.The games I have downloaded are great fun. These include Beat Saber, Pistol Whip, Robo Recall and Five Nights at Freddie’s. You really get lost in the VR environments and it reminds me of the kind of arcade games I grew up with in the 90s (except ramped up 1000x). I do wish there were more Horror games though, as I feel that these are particularly fun to play. After much deliberation I chose the 256Gb version over the 64Gb. My reasoning being I would rather have too much space than too little. The games tend to be between 800MB - 5/6GB, however I expect newer releases to be closer to the latter.I have found the battery life is probably around 2 hours with intense play, although I’ve never timed it. This hasn’t been an issue for me as after about 30mins to an hour I’m mentally and physically exhausted.I think the worst features of the headset are the foam facial interface and the strap that come as standard with the product. The facial interface isn’t particularly soft/spongy and after 20-30mins it starts to ache around the forehead. I think this is in part due to the material but also because of the cheap (cost-saving) strap. The strap works, but it doesn’t provide a comfortable fit and, as with other reviews, it does tend to put pressure on the tops of the ears after a short while. Today I received the Elite Strap with battery pack and the difference is incredible. I would definitely recommend purchasing this as an add-on. I will be reviewing this separately. I will also be buying a different facial interface, probably from VRcover.com, when one is available.Overall I think this is an excellent entry-level VR headset (although specs-wise, this isn’t entry level), based upon my limited VR experience. Hardcore VR users may disagree. For the extra £120 I think the Elite Strap with battery pack (and case) is worth the money. The strap, at least, is essential to improve comfort. In terms of the 64Gb vs 256Gb, this will depend on your preference and whether you think £100 extra for quadruple the storage is worthwhile. Obviously when you add up these ‘extras’ the headset suddenly isn’t quite as cheap as you would hope.

There's been a lot of attempts at VR over the last 30 years, and I've had a play with all of them, but none were particularly compelling. The barn door effects, the sense of disorientation. Nothing quite grabbed the promise and delivered.The Quest 2 is the device that finally has what it takes to gain broad appeal. Firstly, the price is just insane. Then is the ability to not only act as a competent tethered device (not significantly inferior to the vastly more expensive Valve Index or HP devices), but to offer truly untethered, wireless, wonder. The inside out tracking makes setup a breeze (no installing multiple 'base station' detectors anywhere, just stick it on your head and get going.As a first-time user, you are immediately acquainted with the guardian feature, where you set your room boundaries. This may be a safety feature but it immediately sets the tone of what is to come. It demonstrates the comforting "pass-through" feature that gives you an otherworldly black and white view of your surroundings that is surprisingly effective and well-aligned. Moreover, it confirms the accuracy of the tracking going on, inspiring confidence.After setting up your guardian boundaries you are taken to a relaxing 3D home (customisable) and walked through a comprehensive and enjoyable setup. I highly recommend going through the First Time users app and dancing with the robot!The home immediately transforms you with the immersive 3D soundscape that is magical for a device that doesn't even place speakers over your ears. Clever engineering reflects the sound into them with such precision that you can hardly tell you are wearing a headset. Despite that, it is more than sufficient to drown out background noise without leaving you feeling disconnected.There are still ways to go with the optics, untethered graphics and resolution, and there are better headsets out there, but your casual user will not notice such things. None of them allow you to just stick the device on your head and get going, and that freedom makes this the benchmark for all future devices. If better textures matter you can always get the Oculus link and tether it to a hi-end gaming PC. What really matters though, is the promise that this device holds.With that promise, I have no doubt that the 2020s will be the decade of VR.

Some general advice:Clarity is amazing on the device providing your eye position is on the sweet spot; blurriness and astigmatism does happen if the headset drifts. Elite strap helps with the stability and weight balancing (would wait until they fix their current issues though).There are 2 types of lenses used in manufacture. Make sure the lenses have a crystal like shine to them and the lines within are not just white when a torch is shined in. Look for blemishes and scratches.Don't play with the hinged sides too much as a friend says it caused the speaker to start buzzing when loose.Don't constantly pull out the cushion interface frame as it has been known to fitigue and come off easily woth overuse.Quality control is not great I've heard but if this is your first headset, its still an amazing experience regardless; chances of getting a dud is low looking at the reviews.Very pleased with the headset otherwise; I put the warnings first as I feel people will assume the product to be hardy but extra care is required for longevity. Games on the Quest are expensive, so would wait for sales events. Browsing the internet and watching movies feels like being in a cinema, uses are very diverse especially with the ability to play PCVR games with air link providing your PC is VR ready.