Facebook/Meta has already confirmed that the Oculus Quest Pro will arrive much earlier than the Quest 3 While this may seem like bad news to some, the Quest 2 currently sits at the top of our best VR headsets list, and there is no doubt that the Pro model will dominate this space
While we like the Oculus Quest 2, there are areas where it could be improved While it works well as an entry-level headset, more processing power and longer battery life would be welcome to make the Quest 2 a gaming device that rivals Valve and Vive
Oculus has already hinted at development of this Pro headset, which is more than just a VR fantasy If you want an update on what we've heard so far, check out the full breakdown of Oculus Quest Pro news and rumors below
Also, it remains to be seen if Meta's newly announced Project Cambria is actually another name for the Oculus Quest Pro
From the vague answers given by Oculus itself, we initially speculated that the Oculus Quest Pro 2 release date would be 2022 at the earliest
Andrew Bosworth, head of Facebook Reality Labs, said, "Quest Pro? Interesting," in response to a question about an enhanced Quest 2 at a recent Instagram AMA
Bosworth later said in a Q&A session on Twitter that potential customers should buy Quest 2 for the time being, as this hypothetical headset will not appear this year
However, a newly leaked promo video showcasing the brand new headset and the impending Facebook Connect on October 28 suggest that we may have something to look forward to after all However, nothing is certain until Facebook makes it official, so we will have to wait and see what the Connect event will actually be like
And new information from XR analysts claims that Project Cambria, most likely Quest Pro, will appear in the second quarter of 2022 This is an April-May timeframe
The Oculus Quest 2 is priced at $300, a great price for a VR headset However, the Pro version will probably cost more than that
In the Instagram AMA where Bosworth first gave credence to the Quest Pro idea, the question he was answering mentioned a $600 price point; the $900 HTC Vive Cosmos Elite and $1,000 Valve Index would be a smart price point for Oculus to aim for, as it is still cheaper than the However, this part of the question was not answered by Bosworth, so we cannot treat this number as a sure thing
The Oculus Quest 2 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2, offering 1832 x 1920 resolution in both eyes; it runs on 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 256GB of storage; it has a 25-inch screen with a 35-inch display; and it has a 35-inch screen with a 35-inch display
Oculus has clarified that the Pro model is not a complete overhaul of Quest 2 Answering questions in a Twitter Q&A session with Oculus chief technical officer John Carmack, Bosworth said, " There is no Quest 3
The Oculus Quest Pro 2 is expected to offer higher performance, but trying to fit everything into the headset itself is easier said than done Still, while it will not be able to compete with PC-linked headsets in terms of overall quality, there are areas where improvements can be made
It would be great if it could offer a high 144 Hz refresh rate like the Index, but the 120 Hz that the Quest 2 already offers is already good Also, a larger battery would allow for longer play time, more than about 3 hours at a time
As for the design, according to the latest leaks, it looks a bit different compared to the Oculus Quest 2 It has a more goggle-inspired design, the top strap is gone, and the pad that hits the forehead is quite similar to the one on the PSVR
There is little bad to say about the Quest 2's controller The handset is straightforward, smartly designed, and provides good feedback when used in-game
However, when it comes to the Oculus Quest 2 Pro controller, it would be nice if it came with rechargeable batteries instead of AA batteries like the current Quest 2 controller Also, enhanced haptics would be a nice improvement, given that the Vive and Valve VR systems offer much more impressive feedback than the Oculus
Our wishes may come true, as newly leaked promotional materials show users removing the Oculus controller from what appears to be a dock or wireless charging station This suggests that you don't need a spare removable battery to keep yourself moving
The promo also seems to confirm that users will be able to control the headset without the controller In other words, the lingering rumor that the Oculus Quest might include body tracking capabilities seems quite likely
Competitive pricing
More processing power seems obvious for the Oculus Quest 2 Pro The bigger concern, however, is how much it will cost to buy this souped-up headset; Oculus is currently selling some of the least expensive ways to get into true VR, and while the idea of a $1,000+ product may be appealing, it better seem
Improved Displays
Better performance requires a better display to render it Higher refresh rates, higher resolutions, and upgrades from LCD panels to OLED panels would be ideal But even one or two of these would be welcome and would help compensate for existing Quest 2 weaknesses
Rechargeable Controller
This is perhaps less critical than the other features we mentioned, but being able to charge the controller via USB instead of keeping a stock of AA batteries on hand would be a would be a major quality-of-life upgrade
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