Facebook says the Oculus Quest 2 is selling better than expected

[Polycount]

In context: Facebook's latest all-in-one VR headset, the Oculus Quest 2, is undoubtedly an improvement over its predecessor. It has an updated design, a better display, and it's noticeably lighter -- all significant positives for a second-gen device.

Apparently, those improvements are translating directly to better sales. Compared to the original Oculus Quest, Facebook is seeing a positively massive launch: one dev studio, Rec Room, says that, based on its own data, the Oculus Quest 2's launch is a whopping 250 percent larger than the original.

While Facebook's own Chris Pruett did not confirm any exact figures in a recent interview with Protocol, he did say that the company "really couldn't be happier" with the headset's success so far.

"The device is selling quite well," he claims, adding that unit shipments are "maybe a little beyond" what the company expected. Notably, the Quest 2 is also selling faster than its predecessor, which seems to suggest that Facebook's marketing efforts -- including unskippable ads for the device in titles like NBA 2K -- have paid off.

It seems past controversies surrounding Facebook and the Oculus Quest haven't been enough to affect its overall sales figures. For those who aren't aware, the social media giant in August announced that Oculus headset owners would require a linked Facebook account in order to use the devices; a move that sparked quite a bit of criticism from the VR community.

If you don't mind that policy and want to see what all of the fuss surrounding the Oculus Quest 2 is about, you can snag your own unit now for $300 via the Oculus website.

Middle image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

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https://www.techspot.com/news/87249-facebook-oculus-quest-2-selling-better-than-expected.html

 

[Mister_K]

Had a go the other day and not too shabby. It's certainly getting there but the controls just need to be refined. It would be cool if the price was half of what it is so that you can buy 3-4 for the family to all join in. Also not sure how I trust the AR boundaries for the room layout, still feel I will probably f* myself up down the stairs or something...

 

[Neatfeatguy]

A warning to those with banned Facebook accounts or old accounts that haven't been successfully verified - you won't be able to utilize the Oculus Quest 2 until you're account is successfully verified on Facebook's end.

 

[enemys]

Had a go the other day and not too shabby. It's certainly getting there but the controls just need to be refined. It would be cool if the price was half of what it is so that you can buy 3-4 for the family to all join in. Also not sure how I trust the AR boundaries for the room layout, still feel I will probably f* myself up down the stairs or something...

What exactly is your problem with controls? As for the price - it'd be nigh impossible to deliver these specs cheaper right now, maybe in a few years. And about boundaries - in my experience (~2 years) they are solid, regardless which VR system you're using. They aren't going to start moving around or get fuzzy. If there's a problem with locating them, the headset will inform you and force you to recreate them. And if there are any unexpected objects in the play area, Oculus will ask you to remove them or confirm you are aware of those.

 

[sreams]

I have an Oculus Rift. When the Quest 2 is connected to a PC, how's the latency compared to dedicated PC VR headsets?

 

[enemys]

I have an Oculus Rift. When the Quest 2 is connected to a PC, how's the latency compared to dedicated PC VR headsets?

The same. Quality and refresh rate is currently somewhat lower but latency is basically the same - I haven't noticed any difference between WMR and Quest 2 in Beat Saber, which is very latency sensitive. Refresh rate will be bumped from 72 to 90Hz sometime later, while compression bitrate (which limits the quality) can already be bumped to basically native-equivalent in beta software, so it should be available in regular Oculus software in a couple of weeks at most.

 

[hahahanoobs]

The facebook requirement would be a dealbreaker if I was interested.
Now I'm just waiting to see if they go back on that if the sales flatten out or drop too soon.

 

[sreams]

The same. Quality and refresh rate is currently somewhat lower but latency is basically the same - I haven't noticed any difference between WMR and Quest 2 in Beat Saber, which is very latency sensitive. Refresh rate will be bumped from 72 to 90Hz sometime later, while compression bitrate (which limits the quality) can already be bumped to basically native-equivalent in beta software, so it should be available in regular Oculus software in a couple of weeks at most.

Thanks for the response. Obviously Quest 2 has a significant resolution advantage over Rift. Do you think that would result in a higher quality PC experience after updates?

 

[enemys]

Thanks for the response. Obviously Quest 2 has a significant resolution advantage over Rift. Do you think that would result in a higher quality PC experience after updates?

I've tested the improved bitrate today and have to say that while on standard settings (~150Mbps) Quest 2 is somewhat better than Samsung Odyssey+ (I own both), but not in every way/case, bitrate upped to 500Mbps makes Quest's image better in almost every aspect except maybe colors and contrast. UploadVR says anything over 350Mbps makes the image indistinguishable from native: https://uploadvr.com/oculus-link-set-bitrate-update/
While I have only played Beat Saber, Paper Beast and Until You Fall using Link yet, so far I can agree with that opinion. I also tested Virtual Desktop as a monitor and it worked quite well. Text is still somewhat soft, but easily readable and does not suffer from flickering or require reading it from a very short distance. It's still a far cry from a 4K monitor PPI, but comparable to a, I'd say, 27'' 1080p? So nothing spectacular, but definitely usable when dealing with text.

Overall, as O+ already is a substantial visual upgrade over original Rift (never used it though, so can't compare), I believe Q2 will offer an even better image. Just wait until it gets 90Hz support if you're sensitive to refresh rate. 72Hz is ok-ish, but 90Hz makes the experience better.

 

[Lounds]

It's my first VR headset and it's amazing, compared to the original quest and PSVR it's light-years ahead in terms of clarity. I will be sideloading half life onto it soon and playing that in VR.

 

[Mister_K]

What exactly is your problem with controls? As for the price - it'd be nigh impossible to deliver these specs cheaper right now, maybe in a few years. And about boundaries - in my experience (~2 years) they are solid, regardless which VR system you're using. They aren't going to start moving around or get fuzzy. If there's a problem with locating them, the headset will inform you and force you to recreate them. And if there are any unexpected objects in the play area, Oculus will ask you to remove them or confirm you are aware of those.

No you are right, the tech is still relatively young but its not as snappy as id like it to be. They're awesome though but I would find myself using it for a bit and then finding it more of a gimmick.

To each their own, certainly not a terrible price, but half of what it is would be brilliant (I am sure it's quite impossible due to hardware price + R&D).

I am being picky and have high expectations before I would commit into having this.

Can you have coop mode? So for instanced for my parents.

+Resolution, just need higher fidelity which will come in few years.

 

[Zinixo]

Facebook account required= no sale