The Meta Quest 2 – Before You Buy [Complete Guide]

The Meta Quest 2 (aka, the Oculus Quest 2) is a Virtual Reality (VR) gaming headset made by Facebook. It’s the most extraordinary gaming system I’ve ever played, -giving you the ability to explore strange new worlds and play out astonishingly visceral events.

In this post, I’m going to share all the stuff I really wanted to know before I took the dive and purchased a Meta Quest 2 for myself.

MENU (Meta Quest Guide)
1. What is the Meta Quest 2?
2. Is the Quest fun?
3. How much does the Meta Quest 2 Cost?
4. Refer a friend – What I wish I knew…
5. Is the Hardware “Top-End”?
6. Personal Data and Facebook Account
7. After Purchase Cons

Caveat: This post is based on my personal experience. It may contain speculation, personal opinion and human error. Please confirm in-store for current information. Please consult the User Manual for your device before playing VR. This post is not advice.

What is the Meta Quest 2 & Who makes it?

The Meta Quest 2 was developed by Facebook (Meta) and released in 2020.

Initially called the ‘Oculus Quest 2’, it was later rebranded to, ‘Meta Quest 2’. However, both names refer to the same headset device.

The Quest 2 is actually a follow-up to the short-lived (2019-2020) Oculus Quest, which allowed for 1440 x 1600 resolution per eye and offered a refresh rate of 72 Hz.

That compares with the all-new Meta Quest 2, which allows for 1832 x 1920 resolution per eye and has a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

At its core, the Meta Quest 2 is a Virtual Reality headset designed to bring VR technology into your living room.

You simply put the headset on your head and wear it like a big pair of sunglasses, and use the controllers (one in each hand), to operate and interact with the Virtual Reality world.

You can choose to hang out in your own personal ‘Home Environment’, play one of the many games currently available, or socialise in the virtual world.

But there’s more. Loads more.

You could leave this planet and head into space, to explore an alien world. Or back on earth, you could take up rock climbing or fishing, or instead, take up arms in the zombie apocalypse.

The possibilities are endless.

Is the Meta Quest 2 any good? Is it fun to play?

I knew I’d be blogging about the Meta Quest 2, from the very first time I tried it out.

Unless you’ve been actively involved in the Virtual Reality community over the past few years, you won’t be aware of all the technological advancements that have been made.

-I wasn’t.

The last time I thought about VR was back when I was a kid. Heck, I’ve lived out most of my adult life without so much as a second thought about the viability of Virtual Reality.

…then I put on a Quest 2 headset.

This headset takes you off into another world, another reality.

You no longer feel like you’re standing in your living room; you full-blown left Kansas, Toto.

And, I wasn’t expecting it to feel this good, the whole experience is Next-Level.

The Games Console is dead. -Long live Virtual Reality.

Related: The Thrill of the Fight review (Meta Quest 2)

How much does the Meta Quest 2 Cost?

The cheapest Meta Quest 2 costs $399.99 in the US and £399.99 in the UK.

There are two different storage options available for the Quest 2, which explains the price difference (as seen below):

• 128 GB for $399.99 / £399.99
• 256 GB for $499.99 / £499.99

So far, most of the games I’ve seen range from 800MB to 4GB. However, Medal Of Honor: Above and Beyond, weighs in at a hefty 41GB.

I purchased the 256GB version in an attempt to future-proof it.

I didn’t wanna have storage issues if/when the games got larger (not like I’m currently having with my PS4).

Also, I write a blog and there was a good chance I might want to capture a bit of footage for a post or YouTube, and it helps there.

Refer a Friend Meta Quest 2 program – What I wish I knew…

A friend told me about the Meta Quest 2… How amazing it was, how good the fishing game was… yarda yarda.

And after a while, I decided to take a look and began researching. It was definitely promising. Then, BANG, -I made my purchase.

Here’s what I didn’t know:

• If my friend had sent me a referral link, we both could have earned a nice little wad of cash to buy stuff in VR land.

See, if you hit the Menu button inside the Oculus App (on your smartphone/tablet), you’ll see this banner:

–‘£23 for you and a friend – refer a friend and you’ll both get £23 in Oculus Store credit’.

Here’s a link to the Oculus website, where you can learn more about the Refer A Friend offer.

I wish I had read this post before purchasing my Quest 2!

Is the Hardware “Top-End”? Is it worth the Money?

Now, I can’t claim to be a VR hardware expert, but I did carry out my due diligence before buying, and here’s what I discovered:

Virtual Reality Headsets are really Expensive

Virtual Reality is normally achieved with a powerful PC and a VR headset. Whereas, the Quest 2 is an all-in-one device.

Here’s a table comparing some of the Virtual Reality headsets currently available. Please bear in mind, this is for reference only:

Headset	Secondary device?	Specs	Price
Meta Quest 2	No	1832x1920 per eye, 92-degree field of view, Qualcomm Snapdragon® XR2™ processor, 2-3 hour battery life, 503g weight.	$399 or $499
PlayStation VR	PS4	1920x1080 per eye, 100-degree field of view, PS4 gaming, 365g weight.	$299
HP Reverb G2	PC	2,160x2,160 per eye, 114-degree field of view, PC gaming, 453g weight.	$599

I decided to compare the Quest 2, PS4 VR, and a mid-range PC headset (HP Reverb G2).

It’s worth noting that Sony is expected to release a new VR headset for the PS5 in late 2022, and there’s already a large number of PC VR headsets available today.

But back to the question: Does the Meta Quest 2 represent good value for money?

In 2021, PC GAMER published an article entitled, Oculus will sell you a Quest 2 that doesn’t need Facebook for an extra $500 ~ Is that the price of privacy?

Here’s a quote from that post:

The Oculus Quest 2 is a hell of a lot of hardware for $299. In fact, we’re convinced that Facebook is making a loss on each unit sold.

pcgamer.com

In the article, PC GAMER goes on to justify its position, and if you’re interested in the Quest 2, it’s well worth a read.

In conclusion, my research has led me to believe that the (Oculus) Meta Quest 2 is highly competitive in the Tech Vs. Price battle.

[Note: Since this post was first published, Meta has increased the price of the Meta Quest 2 by 100£$, which explains the $299 quoted in the PC GAMER article]

Meta Quest 2: Personal Data and Facebook Account

You have to link the Meta Quest 2 to a Facebook account. -That’s a big deal which definitely made me pause before purchasing.

For all the info, check out the Oculus website. Also, if things change, I’m sure they’ll update it, too.

From my standpoint, there are a few things you should know:

The Quest 2 allows you to make the device private from the public, your friends, and your family. Although, there is an incentive to share stuff, hence the Refer-a-Friend program, referenced above.

Also, Facebook (Meta) appears to collect a lot of personal data. Here’s a summary based on their ‘Supplemental Oculus Data Policy‘:

…we collect…

• Your physical features (including hand size)
• Content you create (avatar, photos that are posted)
• Information about your environment
• + Various other pieces of information

What’s necessary and reasonable?

That’s for you to decide.

It’s also noteworthy that these devices have external mics and cameras (as seen in the following image), which could be used for eavesdropping, assuming you had the technical know-how or appropriate access.

However, this could also be said of mobile phones, PCs, and iPads.

Meta Quest 2 After Purchase Cons

Finally, I wanted to touch on a few things I discovered after purchasing the Meta Quest 2.

This stuff hasn’t changed my view, but it might be important to you.

1. Disorientation from the Quest 2

It’s advised (in the user manual) that you go slow when first using the Meta Quest 2, and I can say from first-hand experience, that’s good advice.

Basically, the whole experience can be disorienting and can leave you feeling dizzy or nauseated.

That said, a really neat feature in the Oculus Store, is the ability to choose games based on a “comfort rating”.

There are three grades used to measure games and Apps:

• Comfortable
• Moderate
• Intense

As expected, Comfortable means less camera movement and player motion, and fewer disorientating effects. -I’ve found ‘Comfortable’ to be a safe level of play for me (I’m not a fan of roller coasters!).

Another way Meta helps us, is by making refunds easy when a game’s not working for you.

As long as you haven’t played a game for over 2 hours, and you’ve owned it for less than 14 days, a refund should be issued. -Very cool. (There may be further conditions, so please check the details before purchasing).

At the end of the day, no one can define your comfort levels, and the Oculus Quest and VR as a whole, might not work for you.

However, I’ve found that taking frequent breaks will help me manage any disorientation, and ease my reintegration back into the real world.

For more on Meta Quest comfort ratings, you can visit the Oculus website, here.

2. Learning to Focus on a Small Area of the Lens

Another ‘Con’, is learning to focus on a small area of the lens.

I appreciate, creating Virtual Reality is a massive undertaking, but this is definitely a noticeable limitation.

It means you have to turn your head, or really focus on a spot, for it to be clear and defined. -As opposed to the normal way your eye uses peripheral visual.

Now, I’m not medically trained, so this is all just my layperson’s opinion.

3. Graphic limitations of the Quest 2

Don’t get me wrong, the Meta Quest 2 is astonishing. However, pixelization is noticeable when looking at objects close to you, and objects in the far distance.

The ‘sweet spot’, is the space in-between.

Older games seem to be worse for it, however, it’s not a huge problem. Just noticeable and therefore relevant.

An Oculus Meta Quest 2 Blog

The Meta Quest 2 is a fantastic piece of equipment, and I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.

For example, you can link multiple Facebook accounts to the same device, allowing family members to create their own high scores and enjoy an individual experience.

For more Meta Quest 2 guides and reviews, check out this section of the site!

Thank you for reading!

Keep Reading? My Meta Quest 2 Posts:

– Meta Quest Pro Vs. Meta Quest 2
– Quest 2 Questions and Answers
– The Thrill of the Fight Meta Quest 2 Review
– Golf+ Meta Quest 2 Review
– Seated Workouts (Feat. Beat Saber, Les Mills Bodycombat, and The Thrill of the Fight)
– Beat Saber Rock Mixtape Review

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Oculus Quest is owned by Facebook (Meta)