[HELP] Upgrading my Oculus Rift S. Which VR headset should I buy?

[Anakhai]

Hey sorry I can only answer one of these questions, but as far as wireless goes its great immersion while moving around since you can do so freely. But it's worth noting that you'll need some light source on otherwise you'll lose tracking. One time while trying my headset out on a webxr game, I lost tracking while burying my head into a pillow and it really through me out of the experience while getting it back up. You can also experience some lag if your wifi should drop at some point or another. This shouldn't be a problem if your pc and router are in the same room as you though.

My quest 2 gets roughly 2 hours of use on default battery, so if you plan on playing longer you might want to consider alternative straps with battery packs. You can get a elite strap but there are a few companies that have a lot of people recommend for less money. The default strap isn't bad but these other straps will also make it more comfortable.

One last point, the quest 2 has individual hand tracking you can use instead of controllers but these are kind of gimmics for now. Your vr hands feel slow to respond and you lose tracking a lot when your hands are down slightly. Hope this helps, sorry for my limited experience but I'm new to vr.

 

[TToby]

It is like you said: Some real next gen headsets coming out this year, so I can't suggest anything else at this moment.
I am no friend of Facebook's improper buisiness practices, and while I am writing this, I almost writhing in pain, but if you want a cheap but good headset NOW, there is no other than the Quest 2.
All the actual hmds, and even the more expensive headsets, that have their own pro and cons, will be out of date by this year. The more money you'll have spend, the more it will hurt you. There is REALLY cool stuff coming.

There are many hits if you are do a Google search for "is it worth to upgrade from a RiftS to a Quest2". That decision is up to you. But do the correct maths first: You can spend a lot of money for accessories to pimp your Quest. And being wireless comes with some other issues, too.
If you want to have more options, maybe you could hold out for a few month more.

 

[Voithe]

I am no friend of Facebook's improper buisiness practices, and while I am writing this, I almost writhing in pain, but if you want a cheap but good headset NOW, there is no other than the Quest 2.

I totally agree with you. This is the only reason I bought a Quest 2. At the moment, it's the best headset when you consider the overall balance of features (and price, of course).

I'm happy to know that REALLY cool headsets are coming this year. Can you give us some more info about it? I could give my Quest 2 to my grandson and buy something new if it's worth it.

 

[WolfmanVR]

My 2 cents....

Wireless is great for the freedom, but wired has a few advantages:

1) No battery life to worry about.
2) You have the full power of your PC behind it.
3) No side-loading, "unlimited" disk space.
4)... and yeah, no Facebook!

I suppose the Oculus link takes away some of those concerns, but then you are tethered again.

Personally, I've been looking at the HP Reverb 2. I think it was one of the better wired headsets on the market last year, but who knows what will be released this year or "soon" (as was pointed about above), making the Reverb 2 obsolete.

For now, I'm still limping along with my Rift S and a RTX2080. I think I'll finally upgrade to a better headset once I can purchase a RTX 4080+ card, which will probably be late this year, early next.... if I can get my hands on one! A better headset on a RTX2080 will probably just bog down my experience. Some games are already hard enough to play on my setup, let alone trying to drive with an even more power-hungry headset.

One final note - If you wait forever for the "prefect headset", there might not be a headset to be bought. We need early/frequent adopters of the technology to get it rolling. Look what happened to 3-D TV -- not enough people jumped on board, so the manufacturers threw in the towel and quit making 3-D sets. I don't think that will happen to VR though. VR seems to have legs, but you never know... food for thought anyway.

 

[TToby]

Can you give us some more info about it?

I am very interested in VR hardware and I soak that infos up like a sponge.
This year we will see at least three big enhancements. Finally.
The mayor players of VR, Oculus and Valve, are developing this stuff for years.
It has a some different reasons why it wasn't possible till now for mass marked. One of them: they was waiting for a new kind of extremely bright micro oled display with more than 10k nits. This is neccessary for some of the enhancements.
-we will finally see: small form factors with micro Oled displays and pancake optics.
-Eye tracking with automatic IPD adjustments and foveated rendering.
-Some very cool things they do with different kinds of image enhancements, and other "small things"
-And maybe even varifocal lenses with ultra-flat LCD optics.
-Many of those HMDs are wireless, and optional stand-alone.
-We will most likely NOT see: bigger FOV.
Some of these features are allready leaked and even officially announced for different HMDs, like MeganeX, Project Cambria, PlaystationVR 2 and the Apple HMD.
But there will be most likely other HMDs coming, too. Though, not being announced now.
This will be finally VR2.0 and a big step forward. Every other HMD coming after this year will have to measured against this new standards.

 

[WolfmanVR]

... snip ...
-We will most likely NOT see: bigger FOV.
... snip ...

That's disappointing to hear that improved FOV isn't on the roadmap for the next headsets. That's one thing that really kills immersion for me - poor FOV. It's like playing games through a set of binoculars or a scuba mask. We really need about 180 horizontal degrees of FOV to feel like our natural vision. Perhaps even more if they want to accommodate people moving their eyes to the far left/right. But foveated rendering is definitely a stepping stone towards getting larger FOV without a performance penalty. It's hard enough to push the pixels at 100+/- FOV of current headsets on good hardware, let alone twice that!

Otherwise, that's all great news that you pointed out, TToby! Thanks for sharing.

 

[WolfmanVR]

Getting back to the OP's specific questions...

As far as accessories go, you'll want to look into getting the Oculus Link. It will give you the best of both worlds - tethered and untethered. (EDIT: I see you already mentioned the Link. Yeah, I think you'll want that.)

You might also want to get 3rd party face coverings. This is probably a good place to start -> Face Coverings

 

[LUXDAR]

The META Cambria looks very cool but i don't know if this one will be compatible with the link or air link.
The Reverb G2 = Amazing but = Virt a Mate = After 2 scenes = Crash = Thanks WMR, SteamVR and Vram 8 go :/ (rtx 3070 fe).

 

[WolfmanVR]

The META Cambria looks very cool but i don't know if this one will be compatible with the link or air link.
The Reverb G2 = Amazing but = Virt a Mate = After 2 scenes = Crash = Thanks WMR, SteamVR and Vram 8 go :/ (rtx 3070 fe).

Luxi0r27 - I have problems with VaM crashing on the Rift S too, so I'm not sure I'd blame your crashes squarely on the Reverb G2. I think it's because I only have 12 GB of RAM. My next PC will have 32 GB, minimum! Keeping this relevant to the OP, the Quest 2 only has a measly 6 GB of RAM. VaM will exhaust that a lot quicker than a PC with 4-6 times that much RAM. You'll probably need to play VaM tethered on the Quest 2.

 

[LUXDAR]

I played 6 months with the Quest 2 on VAM, 100gb of content, crashes every 10 scenes.
I have the G2 for 1 week, crash every 2 scenes, nothing has changed.

SteamVR freeze on scene loads and 50% crash, end.
No black screen, no message, Vam closed quietly.

I know Vam has memory problem but with 16gb ddr4 and 25k+ virtual memory, no problem with Quest 2.

For me, the G2 is the best visual, it's crazy the difference (quest2) but the controllers and wmr made me back (and crash vam ^^).
Maybe for the g2, the memory must be has 32 go ddr4 but not with the quest.

 

[WolfmanVR]

I played 6 months with the Quest 2 on VAM, 100gb of content, crashes every 10 scenes.
I have the G2 for 1 week, crash every 2 scenes, nothing has changed.

SteamVR freeze on scene loads and 50% crash, end.
No black screen, no message, Vam closed quietly.

I know Vam has memory problem but with 16gb ddr4 and 25k+ virtual memory, no problem with Quest 2.

For me, the G2 is the best visual, it's crazy the difference (quest2) but the controllers and wmr made me back (and crash vam ^^).
Maybe for the g2, the memory must be has 32 go ddr4 but not with the quest.

In that case it sounds like it isn't a RAM problem. (More RAM never hurts though... unless you have a bad stick!). Hopefully you'll get an update some day that will make it more stable. Maybe even Vam 2.x will help. Either way, I hope you get it sorted out so you can enjoy that headset more. The visuals have to be mind-blowing from the comparison videos I've seen.

Regarding the crash symptoms, that's basically what happens when it crashes on me too. Frustrating.

 

[TToby]

Yes, those immediately crashing without any forewarning when opening a lot of scenes o clothing, or better textures, is typical for the "VaM memoy bug". Though, it may be something else, too.
I was playing a long time with 16GB, had some crashes every 10 scenes, or while excessively changing clothes.
Now that I have 32GB, no crashes. BUT this is a bug, no feature! If it weren't for the memory bug, 16GB "should" be more than enough for VaM. It is like constantly filling up a bottle without emptying it from time to time.

To prevent this, one may want to click on the big "unload all unneeded textures" button on the main figure menu, or how it is exactly called. Do this between scene loading (or maybe with every third scene...) and the crashing will most likely end.
It would have been interesting to see, if this would have stop the crashing with the G2 fo some reasons, or if the crashes were caused by an other bug.

 

[LUXDAR]

MerGe,

I recommend the Quest 2 if you don't want to have a problem.
I recommend the G2 if you have 32 gb of ddr4 ram and if you are not fear of vam crashes and WMR controllers.

G2 : Amazing Quality. Love ITTTTT!
Q2 : Amazing wireless and controllers but not best quality. Compressed.


1. Quest 2 > Rift S. You see the difference quality (30%).

2. Thee wireless limited to 150mb encode bitrate and the wire 500mb.
A bit more image compression with wireless.

3. https://www.amazon.fr/KIWI-design-Réglable-Pression-Confortable/dp/B098JTDPQC/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?__mk_fr_FR=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=QFIRM50IWZUW&keywords=Sangle+quest+2+kiwi&qid=1643540988&s=electronics&sprefix=sangle+quest+2+kiwi,electronics,72&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMjVLN1QyNUk3VzNQJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzU4MzQxMTFBVU85UjZKQTNWViZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMDY5NzI3MTZGUEExSkdKQlhSSCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

5. I don't know but i don't think so ^^ And WMR controllers is not terrible...
6. META yes, i need too, it sells dreams.
7. Either you buy the Quest 2 or you wait. But the G2 > image quality = 100%, Q2 > image quality > 60%, RiftS > image quality > 30%.
8. I can not tell you. I would say the Quest 2 for compatibility and after you go Meta Cambria.

I sent the G2 back because of crashes and i don't like WMR.

 

[LUXDAR]

Only crashes on VaM, not on games.
But you have some games on Oculus that don't work with G2 (Revive is the software to play Oculus).

For the VaM crash, I don't know, I haven't tested long enough.

I think but not sure :
it's because I only have 16 GB of ram (but with the Quest 2 it was good) and not 32 gb.
Or because SteamVR crashes (due to the recent SteamVR update, it crashed SteamVR and VaM). and that the beta SteaùVR could fix the problem but I no longer have the headset vr to test.

 

[Sally Whitemane]

Sorry to hijack this thread. I'm casually looking for VR hardware.
I read this thread and now I'm even more confused than before. There is so much to consider!
Also I'm nearsighted and wear glasses. ? How would that work with a headset?
Or could I see without glasses since the display is close/near (what's corrent english?) anyway?
Data hoarding privacy ignoring companies is something I don't like. So I'll avoid Facebook/Meta and the Quest 2.

As someone who has never tried VR and has no clue about VR hardware at all I have to ask:
What if I have a fast PC, but without a USB-C port
Wireless only being usable like 2 hours sucks. So having a wired connection is something I'd want.

My Fractal Define 7 XL case has a USB-C at the front ... but not connected.
The mainboard is a cheap Gigabyte X570 UD.
It does not have a USB-C at the back or a front-panel USB-C connector on the board.
The fastest ports are 'USB 3.2 Gen 1' ... whatever that means.
With all the confusing USB standard changes I'm completely lost.
I'm not sure what USB-speed is required for VR to work.

Doubt I will buy VR hardware soon. VAM just made me curious. Doing basic 'information gathering' now.

 

[HolySchmidt]

USB-C has nothing to do with the speed, it's just a different connector. There's adapters, so no worries about that.
USB 3.2 Gen. 1 has 5 GBit/s, meaning: 625 Megabyte per second. Should be fast enough.

All found out with google in a few seconds. I know you can do this too.

 

[TToby]

Hi @Sally Whitemane,
it depends on how much nearsighted you are, but most likely you WILL need glasses in VR!
Yes, the display is only some cm away from your eyes, but the "virtual image", or better your focus point is like being approximately 2m away. I am nearsighted, too.
With most VR headsets it is possible to wear glasses inside, but watch out: all the lenses in VR headsets are from plastic for some reasons! You WILL easily scratch them with your glasses, if you are not super cautious. Been there, done that.
Many people are wearing glasses in their VR devices every day, but I personally found it very uncomfortable, even while having a very small frame size. If you are the same, I can highly suggest prescription lens adapters, which can be put over the headset lenses and remain there. Please calculate additional ~ 60-80€ for a pair of this.

USB C should not be a problem, like HolySchmidt said.

Unfortunately I can't help you to select an VR headset, like I stated above. I am using a Valve Index, but that formally great hmd is getting more and more ...oldish. The Reverb G2 seems to have some issues with VaM, the HTC headsets are usually a bit overpriced, Quest is from Facebook/Meta, aso.
It's time for new headsets coming out this year. Don't get me wrong, VR in general is absolutely great... but If you can stand waiting, then wait.

 

[TToby]

I am very interested in VR hardware and I soak that infos up like a sponge.
This year we will see at least three big enhancements. Finally.
The mayor players of VR, Oculus and Valve, are developing this stuff for years.
It has a some different reasons why it wasn't possible till now for mass marked. One of them: they was waiting for a new kind of extremely bright micro oled display with more than 10k nits. This is neccessary for some of the enhancements.
-we will finally see: small form factors with micro Oled displays and pancake optics.
-Eye tracking with automatic IPD adjustments and foveated rendering.
-Some very cool things they do with different kinds of image enhancements, and other "small things"
-And maybe even varifocal lenses with ultra-flat LCD optics.
-Many of those HMDs are wireless, and optional stand-alone.
-We will most likely NOT see: bigger FOV.
Some of these features are allready leaked and even officially announced for different HMDs, like MeganeX, Project Cambria, PlaystationVR 2 and the Apple HMD.
But there will be most likely other HMDs coming, too. Though, not being announced now.
This will be finally VR2.0 and a big step forward. Every other HMD coming after this year will have to measured against this new standards.

Unfortunately I have to revoke my predictions for this year. Many upcoming products will be delayed because of Covid, supply chain issues and chip shortage. Other products will most likely be somewhat disappointing like PSVR 2 using eyetracking only for "I know what you are looking at" and not for foveated rendering or even varifocal lenses. Cambria might be most likely the same, although they have been working on those promising things for years and have some very advanced prototypes already working great. Maybe it is still to expensive, and/or it lacks of panel and lenses manufacturers, producing parts in such relatively small quantities for a nice market like VR.
If not Valve or an other manufacturer comes out with a big surprise, we probably will see "VR 2.0" maybe in 2023 at earliest.

 

[WolfmanVR]

Unfortunately I have to revoke my predictions for this year. Many upcoming products will be delayed because of Covid, supply chain issues and chip shortage. Other products will most likely be somewhat disappointing like PSVR 2 using eyetracking only for "I know what you are looking at" and not for foveated rendering or even varifocal lenses. Cambria might be most likely the same, although they have been working on those promising things for years and have some very advanced prototypes already working great. Maybe it is still to expensive, and/or it lacks of panel and lenses manufacturers, producing parts in such relatively small quantities for a nice market like VR.
If not Valve or an other manufacturer comes out with a big surprise, we probably will see "VR 2.0" maybe in 2023 at earliest.

Yeah, I agree with you, TToby. Supply chain issues aren't going to be fixed overnight, and it's probably crazy to launch a new product that people can hardly get their hands on anyway. The recent XBOX series S/X and PS5 launches were a total disaster for consumers. The same would probably happen with any truly next-gen VR headset.

I think VR will really hit its stride in the next 5+ years, but we still need people to jump on board with the current gen headsets. Companies need to see support for the technology as well as the cash to continue to invest in those next-gen features. If you don't have a headset yet, I'd say watch a bunch of Youtube videos on varying brands, make a decision, and take the plunge on a current headset. You'll be that much more impressed when you get the next one...

 

[TToby]

Unfortunately my Valve Index is slowly falling apart. I was using it almost every day in the last 3 years, and it is simply worn up. So my hopes were high to get my hands on a next gen HMD this year. I still keep my fingers crossed, but it seems I have to keep my Index alive a bit longer with duct tape, 3d prints and even soldering parts.

By the way, on GDC last week, Sony more or less has leaked that the PSVR2 might have foveated rendering with eyetracking after all. Yes, VR 2.0 is definitely coming. Atm, many big companies are jumping on the VR train and pumping big money in different promising projects behind the scene... Nobody says "VR is dead" anymore. I'm very excited to see what the future will bring

 

[WolfmanVR]

... Nobody says "VR is dead" anymore. I'm very excited to see what the future will bring

Good news indeed! Too much is at stake to let VR die. Large companies have been battling for the living room for a long time, and forward thinkers see a "Ready Player One" type environment as a whole new area to monetize. Selling avatars, skins, and (virtual things of just about everything) is way too profitable to let this slip by, imo.