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[mikespit1200]

I have a few hundred in Amazon credit sitting doing nothing. I already got a ps5 an Xbox series s and a 3000 series video card for my pc. I’m wondering if I should jump into vr. I like the idea of the quest 2 in that I can use it untethered but also connect it to my pc. Is this the headset to get? Should I wait for the next iteration? Help me gaf.

 

[SF Kosmo]

I think Quest 2 is an amazing entry point headset, by far the best bang for the buck, and you can argue it's the best experience overall, though the last one is a little more complicated a point.

Quest 2's big selling points are:

+ Wireless, both for PCVR and stand-alone. This is a pretty big deal, and while some other headsets like the Vive Pro do have add-on hardware to do this, the Quest's solution is simple, effective, and doesn't need any added bulk. It's by far the best wireless experience in VR, and that's kind of a big thing. Makes it easier to have multiple play spaces and take advantage of large spaces too.

+ Easy to set up/just works. No sensors to mount, no need to dedicate one space to VR. Inside out tracking works flawlessly, competitive with anything else out there. If you take it somewhere new, you can set up a new play space in seconds.

+ High res screens. A tad behind the Reverb but ahead of the Index. Really crisp, and clear, with virtually no visible subpixels or "screen door."

+ Great controllers and hand tracking, not the wand style stuff you see with some headsets.

+ Oculus game library does include some excellent exclusives like Lone Echo and Asgard's Wrath.

But it also has some disadvantages, though:

- It uses compressed video for PC connectivity, with no native option. For wireless this is true of any headset option, but even with a wire, the Quest 2 uses compressed video over a data connection rather than a video connection, which means some added latency and some visible compression artifacts. They're not bad or anything and you likely won't even notice in most situations but you can see in in the kinds of super low contrast scenes that are always a problem for compression.

- The FOV is not great. Similar to Rift and Vive and maybe a little smaller depending on your particular IPD and head shape. The Index and Reverb offer noticeably better FOV. IPD adjustment is also locked to 3 settings, so you can't fine tune it as much, which some people who are very sensitive to these things take issue with (though it's probably fine for 99% of people).

- It's a little more demanding on your PC. Because of the compressed video, you really need an RTX card. And since it's high res, it can be pretty taxing to play VR games at that res. Hopefully more games besides No Man's Sky implement DLSS and this becomes less of an issue.

- Battery life is a thing. It's about 2 hours wireless, but even plugged in, it still drains and you might get like 4 hours. I have never managed to play VR for two hours straight but if you're planning on doing coast to coast flights in Flight Sim or something you might want to consider that.


Index is probably your next best pick. Wider FOV, best in class tracking, cleaner (but not sharper) video, better contrast. But it's like three times the cost, lower res, and doesn't do wireless, so I dunno.

 

[Kuranghi]

Do you play games on the TV (as opposed to a monitor)?

If yes what model of TV do you have?

 

[Vlodril]

Everybody should get a VR if they can afford one. It is a game changer for sure.

 

[Gamerguy84]

Yes. Absolutely yes.

 

[worldwithpyramids]

Yes, but the future of VR honestly feels a little shaky right now (from someone who owns an Index). There’s enough to play to make it worth it though.

 

[Kev Kev]

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Yes, albeit I’d wait for the PSVR2 variant if you have a PS5 already, primarily because I can’t endorse any of Facebook’s products.

 

[Rudius]

Yes. VR is best thing in gaming.

 

[rofif]

I buy headset once every year or two and sell it after a month.
It is always a gimmick with few exceptions. Alyx was truly amazing.
You will not waste money if You just buy quest 2. It's cheap and a great way to play half life (wirelessy)

 

[TheDreadLord]

I would say that the Quest 2 is probably the best entry point if you are OK with the need of having a FB account.

 

[Kuranghi]

Yes, albeit I’d wait for the PSVR2 variant if you have a PS5 already, primarily because I can’t endorse any of Facebook’s products.

Yeah thats what I'm doing, I think with the PS5 is really on par if not better than my current GPU so its probably smarter for me to wait for the subsidised PSVR2 since (I hope) it will probably get ports of all the best current PC VR titles like Alyx, etc.

I've been dying to play some of the better target shooting games like Hotdogs, horseshoes and hand-jobs as well.

 

[AndrewRyan]

If you've got the money honey... hell yeah!

 

[nemiroff]

Yes, albeit I’d wait for the PSVR2 variant if you have a PS5 already, primarily because I can’t endorse any of Facebook’s products.

Especially with a 3000 series card that would be a giant mistake.. Also there are already technically better non-facebook VR headsets out there. And, he'd miss the best experience of them all; MS Flight Simulator 2020

 

[chixdiggit]

Oculus Quest 2 is really great and my preferred headset.

• Plays native wireless
• Plays PCVR wireless
• no setting up tracking cameras
• great controllers
• Great screen
• Many games are cross buy Native/PCVR
• Take it anywhere

Of course there are cons as well but overall I mostly reach for The quest 2 because it's so easy.

 

[Billbofet]

Yes. Yes, you should.
Quest 2 is a great entry point and a true game-changer for the medium.

If you really get into it, you can certainly upgrade, but you will get a LOT of mileage out of a Quest 2.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

If you're interested I'm about to sell my Valve index complete with accessories

 

[ArtemisClydeFrog]

I'm waiting for PSVR2

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

I had the same question a few months ago.

I bought a PS vr and is amazing!!

So pick one

 

[Keihart]

Porn by itself kinda justifies the purchase....but yeah, you can play games too and there is quite a bunch of good ones already.
No idea how good is the Quest 2 wifi stuff, but i it works, it's probably the best option for the price.
The Index, just for the nuckles would be a cool option if you have the money and patience to get one, but i wouldn't recommend it, it's kinda expensive as shit now and hard to get.

Some of my favorite games are Stormland, Roborecall, Wilson's Heart ,Lone Echo, SW Squadrons, Onwards, Duck Season, Organ Quarter and Alyx.

 

[BadBurger]

I would say yes. It's a remarkable experience, and there are some very good headsets out there now for PC (or even standalone).

 

[Kagero]

The Facebook one is great! You gotta really be in to VR though. I like it but I much prefer traditional gaming. The VR machine is only used for if I want to get a few rounds of fake boxing in. It’s a phenomenal workout tool.

 

[Romulus]

Quest 2 is no brainer

 

[midasmulligan]

Yes, get the index if you really want to experience all that VR is currently capable of. Get a quest 2 for freedom of movement. Get both eventually, you won’t regret it.

 

[Shai-Tan]

I think it might depend on what types of games you like to play. Average game quality is lower than flat and that includes higher budget games. For me the experience makes up for it, however I've seen quite a few people on reddit go through Alyx and a couple of other games then complain about there being no good games because their taste is primarily AAA games. If you like playing random weird stuff I think you will be more likely to like it. It also helps if you either didn't play or would play games like Skyrim or Fallout 4 again because the VR versions are good with Wabbajack mod lists.

If you do get a Quest 2 try out the free trial of Viveport Infinity. There's quite a few games you could sample for a week or two as well as VR "experiences" like theBlu, Gloomy Eyes, The Big C

 

[Starhowl]

I'm waiting until Microsoft releases a solution for the Xbox Series X - until then, I will let the avant-garde have the head-start!

 

[eastcoastkody]

i just found a PSVR for dirt cheap. Because it had a crappy photo and sketchy listing on ebay. Figure its late to jump in...but for the price i paid i can just give it the boot next holiday when PSVR 2 comes out.

 

[mxbison]

Yes, whole new way to experience games.

Quest 2 is the best deal you'll probably get for quite a while.

 

[Captain Hero]

I'd say no and just wait for VR 2 or just wait a little bit longer to get more and more enhanced features and better games to take the full advantage of VR not just to show off in some games.

Of course that's my opinion

 

[Setsuna Mudou]

I got the reverb G2 and it's a game changer especially if you enjoy cockpit view games (racing, flight, etc)
The only downside is if you play racing games online for like 2h or more, you start getting itches in places you can't scratch. And being online there's no such think as pause the game, remove headset, scratch your eyebrow, put on headset, unpause.
Having said this, I can't see myself playing a racing game on a tv, ever again.
It does require a beefy pc though, so be mindful of that before you invest heavily.

 

[nightmare-slain]

nah. i got a VR headset and it was exciting for a month or so. there just isn't enough good quality games. i ended up just playing beat sabre all the time lol. for the average person i can't recommend buying a headset. if there's a game you know supports VR and you know you're gonna spend a lot of time in it (something like Elite Dangerous, No Man's Sky, Flight Simulator, etc) then yeah get it but majority of people will be like myself. once the excitement of a new toy wears off you'll find yourself regretting the purchase. i sold mine just before Alyx came out and was lucky enough i got about 70% of my money back.

i like the idea of VR. i wish i could use a headset all the time instead of a monitor. the hardware has a way to go yet and studios need to start taking VR seriously.

 

[mikespit1200]

Thanks for all the responses. I think the quest 2 is my front runner. A few follow up questions:

- I’m most interested in hl alyx. Someone said this can be played wirelessly?
- I definitely want to connect the quest 2 to my pc but I don’t think I have a usb c connection on my case or gpu. Would I need another pci card or something for the wired connection?
- porn would be a neat use case. Can you stream video wirelessly to the quest 2 or do you need to put the video files on the local storage?
- given my use cases should I spring for the higher storage capacity? 64gb seems a bit low.
- can I use the quest 2 with my steam library games that support vr?

 

[SF Kosmo]

Thanks for all the responses. I think the quest 2 is my front runner. A few follow up questions:

- I’m most interested in hl alyx. Someone said this can be played wirelessly?

Wireless PCVR is now an out of the box feature for Quest 2 (it previously required side loading third party software, but now it's an official feature). It works with pretty much every Oculus or SteamVR game.

It requires a decently fast router (Wi-Fi 5 or 6) with a wired connection to the PC, and line of sight to the headset (same room) to work well, although this doesn't have to be your main house router (you can just hook one up to your PC for VR purposes).

But it works very well, slight tradeoffs in compression and latency are more than worth it to be able to move freely around a big space and not have to worry about the cord.

- I definitely want to connect the quest 2 to my pc but I don’t think I have a usb c connection on my case or gpu. Would I need another pci card or something for the wired connection?

No, just use a USB-C to USB-A cord. As long as it's USB 3.0 it doesn't matter if it's the big kind or the little kind.

- porn would be a neat use case. Can you stream video wirelessly to the quest 2 or do you need to put the video files on the local storage?

You can stream but be 360 video is not as cool as you hope it is.

- given my use cases should I spring for the higher storage capacity? 64gb seems a bit low.

I find 64 to be plenty for now since most games are like 1-2 GB but you do you.

- can I use the quest 2 with my steam library games that support vr?

Yes

 

[Sleepwalker]

My problem with VR is that playstation pretty much has the best games (except alyx) while also having the worst headset at a terrible price point for what it is today.

Hopefully psvr2 will be wireless or pc compatible, or both. Would spend quite a bit on it.

 

[Synless]

I think Quest 2 is an amazing entry point headset, by far the best bang for the buck, and you can argue it's the best experience overall, though the last one is a little more complicated a point.

Quest 2's big selling points are:

+ Wireless, both for PCVR and stand-alone. This is a pretty big deal, and while some other headsets like the Vive Pro do have add-on hardware to do this, the Quest's solution is simple, effective, and doesn't need any added bulk. It's by far the best wireless experience in VR, and that's kind of a big thing. Makes it easier to have multiple play spaces and take advantage of large spaces too.

+ Easy to set up/just works. No sensors to mount, no need to dedicate one space to VR. Inside out tracking works flawlessly, competitive with anything else out there. If you take it somewhere new, you can set up a new play space in seconds.

+ High res screens. A tad behind the Reverb but ahead of the Index. Really crisp, and clear, with virtually no visible subpixels or "screen door."

+ Great controllers and hand tracking, not the wand style stuff you see with some headsets.

+ Oculus game library does include some excellent exclusives like Lone Echo and Asgard's Wrath.

But it also has some disadvantages, though:

- It uses compressed video for PC connectivity, with no native option. For wireless this is true of any headset option, but even with a wire, the Quest 2 uses compressed video over a data connection rather than a video connection, which means some added latency and some visible compression artifacts. They're not bad or anything and you likely won't even notice in most situations but you can see in in the kinds of super low contrast scenes that are always a problem for compression.

- The FOV is not great. Similar to Rift and Vive and maybe a little smaller depending on your particular IPD and head shape. The Index and Reverb offer noticeably better FOV. IPD adjustment is also locked to 3 settings, so you can't fine tune it as much, which some people who are very sensitive to these things take issue with (though it's probably fine for 99% of people).

- It's a little more demanding on your PC. Because of the compressed video, you really need an RTX card. And since it's high res, it can be pretty taxing to play VR games at that res. Hopefully more games besides No Man's Sky implement DLSS and this becomes less of an issue.

- Battery life is a thing. It's about 2 hours wireless, but even plugged in, it still drains and you might get like 4 hours. I have never managed to play VR for two hours straight but if you're planning on doing coast to coast flights in Flight Sim or something you might want to consider that.


Index is probably your next best pick. Wider FOV, best in class tracking, cleaner (but not sharper) video, better contrast. But it's like three times the cost, lower res, and doesn't do wireless, so I dunno.

I’d say another negative on Quest 2 is that there are just not enough games out/coming out. I check the store regularly and support is just not there. I’ve been there since launch of Quest 1 and it was no different.

 

[Damigos]

Wait for next year's PSVR

 

[Buggy Loop]

My problem with VR is that playstation pretty much has the best games (except alyx) while also having the worst headset at a terrible price point for what it is today.

Hopefully psvr2 will be wireless or pc compatible, or both. Would spend quite a bit on it.

Isn’t it confirmed that PSVR 2 is wired? Yea…

 

[Alexios]

Same as any platform, the more you wait the more stuff it will have by the time you do get it, the cheaper it may be (and/or new hardware comes along) and the more time you're going without it.

For multiplayer it's true only a few games have decent numbers, usually those cross platform between PC & Quest like Population: One or Onward and also some big games that work both in and out of VR like Phasmophobia and the social spaces like Rec Room & VR Chat. It's usually not a problem to find players for others like Pavlov as well but some are dead (sucks for some fun games like Space Junkies which I don't include in my list because of this). Then again, that's little different to non VR games, plenty small indie multiplayer stuff are doa vs big hits like COD or Rocket League. For single player or games that you intend to play through with a friend that also has VR or will get VR when you do, it makes little difference how many others are playing of course. Sure, it's a (growing) niche market right now but there's tons of stuff to enjoy, more good games than the average attach ratio of a console that used to be like 10 full price games per user over its lifetime. It's not the hundreds/thousands of games PC gamers have accumulated over decades and think that's the norm but it's fine. You'll still play great non VR games when there's a drought.

Here's a list of PC VR recommendations I drafted. https://pastebin.com/ZfGjDVbp

Most are on Steam so check it for trailers/user reviews, some like Lies Beneath and Lone Echo are only on the Oculus Rift store. Paid off clickbait media only wet themselves for Facebook or extorted exclusives, mainstream media don't do VR if Sony/big publishers aren't involved so coverage isn't there but the content is. That's just to get you started, a mix of older, newer and some upcoming (missing stuff like the just announced Hellsweeper but also plenty others, again, it's just a list to get started with).

Edit: oh, most related youtubers also suck in showing off what VR experiences are like, either lying about it being their first time in game x because they wanna act all cool (while playing with toys, lol) or only showing expert Beat Saber/Pop plays. Old SweViver videos like the first I'll list here, before he became a hardware nerd/pimax shill and went to work for the latter, were what convinced me to get VR back then. I'll list some other videos/trailers I think are showing off other things you can do nicely for beginners (ie, this Blade & Sorcery video here is far from the latest and craziest because watching some of those you won't even be able to tell what's really going on/what it plays like).

 

[Boss Mog]

Wait on PSVR 2 OP.

Isn’t it confirmed that PSVR 2 is wired? Yea…

Can we please stop with this nonsense, a cutting edge VR headset that connects wirelessly to a PC or console is dumb and virtually non-existent because the wire doesn't only transfer data but also actually powers the display. I say virtually because I know the VIve has a wireless adapter, but you have to buy it separately, it makes the headset weigh more and limits you to 2 hours of play time, which is fine for solo sessions but if you have buddies/family over taking turns, it's not ideal. And trust me headset weight matters a lot when you play for more than 30 minutes.

The "wireless" headsets you see advertised are underpowered all-in-one headsets like the Oculus Go/Quest. These are running off of ARM phone SoCs, they cannot compete with console or PC VR games. My friend has the latest Quest 2 and there's nothing that even comes close to AstroBot on the OG PSVR.

 

[PleaseDontBanMe]

a Quest 2 is a better investment than a wife and kids in 2021/2022

especially if u already have a VR ready gaming PC, which will open more VR doors for you.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Wait on PSVR 2 OP.


Can we please stop with this nonsense, a cutting edge VR headset that connects wirelessly to a PC or console is dumb and virtually non-existent because the wire doesn't only transfer data but also actually powers the display. I say virtually because I know the VIve has a wireless adapter, but you have to buy it separately, it makes the headset weigh more and limits you to 2 hours of play time, which is fine for solo sessions but if you have buddies/family over taking turns, it's not ideal. And trust me headset weight matters a lot when you play for more than 30 minutes.

The "wireless" headsets you see advertised are underpowered all-in-one headsets like the Oculus Go/Quest. These are running off of ARM phone SoCs, they cannot compete with console or PC VR games. My friend has the latest Quest 2 and there's nothing that even comes close to AstroBot on the OG PSVR.

Ouf, what a misinformed take. Go look into airlink. I played Half Life Alyx wirelessly. Since the soc is only used for streaming, the battery lasts quite a while too.

Wireless PC VR is a game changer. Tech coming out after Quest 2 that don’t support it already feel obsolete.

 

[CloudNull]

Wait on PSVR 2 OP.


Can we please stop with this nonsense, a cutting edge VR headset that connects wirelessly to a PC or console is dumb and virtually non-existent because the wire doesn't only transfer data but also actually powers the display. I say virtually because I know the VIve has a wireless adapter, but you have to buy it separately, it makes the headset weigh more and limits you to 2 hours of play time, which is fine for solo sessions but if you have buddies/family over taking turns, it's not ideal. And trust me headset weight matters a lot when you play for more than 30 minutes.

The "wireless" headsets you see advertised are underpowered all-in-one headsets like the Oculus Go/Quest. These are running off of ARM phone SoCs, they cannot compete with console or PC VR games. My friend has the latest Quest 2 and there's nothing that even comes close to AstroBot on the OG PSVR.

Some one is behind the times. The future is now old man.

 

[Shai-Tan]

Ouf, what a misinformed take. Go look into airlink. I played Half Life Alyx wirelessly. Since the soc is only used for streaming, the battery lasts quite a while too.

Wireless PC VR is a game changer. Tech coming out after Quest 2 that don’t support it already feel obsolete.

There's also battery accessories that can bring play time to 6+ hours. And acts as counter weight. I've never played standing VR that long.

 

[Karak]

I have all the sets and would say that while its worth jumping in now you do have to understand its no where near the level of "readiness" that other parts of gaming may be at.
I still love it.

 

[Romulus]

I think the people that will really benefit are those 30 somethings that grew up with actual generational leaps in gaming. If you want to experience that again, VR delivered the biggest jump for me. Now, having said that, you probably need to like flight/space/horror/driving/sims games a bit more than the normal gamer to get the full "holy fucking shit" reaction, but even still it can be had. But yeah if you're into Elite Dangerous or driving type stuff. FUCK.
There are times still playing VR all these years later that it still blows my mind.

 

[FunkMiller]

Quest 2 is the absolute dog’s bollocks - either standing alone with its own games, or especially as a completely wireless PC VR headset. Games like Alyx are transformative, and VR is going to be the true next generation.

Edit: what’s with all the people thinking you can’t play PCVR wirelessly? It’s a piece of piss if you have a half decent PC and a dedicated router (that does not have to be connected to the internet at all!)

I’ve had Alyx running on high settings at 80hz trouble free on my Quest 2, with over two hours battery life. Zero reason for VR to be wired.

 

[mikespit1200]

Quest 2 is the absolute dog’s bollocks

I ….don’t know if that’s means good or bad.

 

[Buggy Loop]

There's also battery accessories that can bring play time to 6+ hours. And acts as counter weight. I've never played standing VR that long.

Yup, I have the elite strap with battery, it acts like a counterweight and makes the headset even more comfortable.

 

[SF Kosmo]

I’d say another negative on Quest 2 is that there are just not enough games out/coming out. I check the store regularly and support is just not there. I’ve been there since launch of Quest 1 and it was no different.

Well it sounds like he's primarily interested in it as a way to play PC VR.

 

[BadBurger]

Well I gave away my PS VR months ago but got that itch when I was in BestBuy earlier. Here we go, I'll let you know what I think of it OP

Edit:

OK we set it up, updated it, and played through the tutorial. This thing is legitimately amazing. The build quality is top notch, the sound and visuals light years ahead of the other (admittingly very old) VR headsets I have tried, and controls and safety systems perfect.

Absolutely worth the $400. Just be sure to get a Link cable and a USB C to A adaptor if your PC doesn't have USB C female ports.