After becoming interested in VR, I experienced the following devices in order:
- Acer AH101 + GTX970 (purchased personally)
- HTC Vive (tried at exhibitions)
- PS VR (tried at exhibitions)
- Samsung Odyssey + GTX1080Ti (purchased personally)
- Oculus Go (purchased personally)
Based on the above experiences and my curiosity about the technology, I obtained some usage insights three days after getting the Oculus Quest, which I am sharing here. I will also add some thoughts when I buy new games in the future.
Hardware:
- Positioning is precise enough and it can track the environment, indicating that four-camera inside-out tracking will become mainstream; however, when using applications like Tilt Brush, if the controllers are too close to the head, they cannot be tracked, so outside-in tracking cannot be replaced in specific scenarios.
- 1440*1600 AMOLED 72Hz per eye, the resolution is much better than HTC Vive and PS VR, the display difference compared to Go is not significant, benefiting from the improved processing chip, game graphics are better than Go, and the screen-door effect is milder than the Samsung Odyssey which also uses AMOLED.
- When using Fresnel lenses with black background and white text, glare is more severe.
- Since Oculus has not published the FOV, my visual estimate is similar to other devices, approximately 110 degrees; however, a share from Reddit user CodeF53 indicates it is about 90 degrees, as shown in the image below.
- IPD adjustable range is 58-72mm
- The headset and controllers have very refined appearances and are very light.
- The controllers feel comfortable to hold, but the vibration is weak and the feedback is poor.
- Quest controllers are much more power-efficient than WMR; both rely on light tracking, but the former uses infrared LEDs while the latter uses standard white LEDs.
- The speaker sound quality is better than Go, with higher volume; however, connecting mid-to-high-end headphones separately can provide a better sense of immersion.
- I don’t know why there is a headphone jack on each side, which seems a bit redundant.
- When crossing boundaries, you can directly see the black-and-white external view, which not only prevents collisions but also allows movement without removing the headset.
- Not needing a high-end PC graphics card and a bunch of cables is really convenient.
- The included ultra-long USB Type-C cable is practical, but a magnetic connector would be better.
- There is a chance to compete with game consoles, with graphics close to the Switch.
- The custom prescription lenses for Go cannot be used on Quest due to mold incompatibility.
- Hand Tracking previewed in late 2019 allows playing games without handheld controllers, using deep learning technology for gesture tracking and recognition. I experienced it early by flashing firmware and found it has reached a usable level; the flaw is that with four-camera inside-out tracking, it becomes unusable when the palm blocks the fingers, and currently almost no games support it, awaiting official release.
Software:
- Due to different controllers, content purchased for Go and Rift cannot be used on Quest; this approach facilitates official management but is not very reasonable for users.
- Applications or games played for no more than 2 hours can be refunded within 14 days, with a limit of 5 refunds per month.
- Beginner TutorialFirst StepsandFirst ContactVery beautiful, the experience is excellent, women will really like it. 4 stars
- Rec RoomThe experience is the same as PC, it is a small game social platform available for free download, but it offers in-game paid content, currently the strongest social game, the top choice for beginners. 5 stars
- MasterpieceBeat SaberThe experience is the same as PC, it is a music rhythm game, characterized by using light sabers to slash blocks in rhythm. 4.5 stars
- MasterpieceSuperhotThe experience is the same as PC, it is a slow-motion shooting game with many carefully designed levels, worth playing. 5 stars
- Sports ScrambleFeatures tennis, bowling, and baseball, it is the most fun VR sport I have played so far. 5 stars
- Drop DeadIt is a game where you shoot zombies with a pistol, I first encountered it on Go, where the controllers only had three-axis sensors, the experience was already quite good, the Quest version benefits from improvements in display chip, head and hand tracking technology, resulting in a significant improvement in graphics and experience. 4 stars
- Vader ImmortalThe graphics are better than expected, the experience is great, but the gameplay and content are limited, only recommended for movie fans. 4 stars
- MasterpieceRobo RecallLimited by hardware performance, the graphics are not as good as PC, but the gameplay remains, showing the demeanor of a major title, it is the top choice for gunfight games. 4.5 stars
- Dance CentralIt is a dancing game, I first encountered it on Xbox Kinect, after being adapted to VR, the graphics are poor, the gameplay is poor, the experience is poor; it looks like a cheap outsourced game, absolutely do not buy it. 2 stars
- National Geographic Explore VRIt is an adventure game with two scenes, Antarctica and Machu Picchu in Peru, the visuals are dreamlike, the experience is good. 4 stars.
- Journey of the GodsIt is an action RPG game, the visuals are dreamlike, somewhat like a VR version of The Legend of Zelda. 4 stars
- GadgeteerIt is a puzzle game using dominoes, suitable for players who like a slow pace; unfortunately, the gameplay is somewhat monotonous. 3.5 stars
- Drunkn Bar FightIt is a bar brawl game, you can pick up various weapons to hit people, it is quite stress-relieving, but the gameplay is too simple, and there are only three levels, the content is too scarce. 3.5 stars
- Pistol WhipIt is a rhythm gunfight game, the style resembles Superhot, but the non-slow-motion gameplay makes the rhythm more compact, it is the most fun VR gunfight game I have played so far. 5 stars
Packaging:
- The packaging box is thick, sturdy, and exquisite, can be reused for daily storage.
- The additionally purchased Travel case is very lightweight, with a unique design specifically for storing and carrying the Quest.
Industry:
- Facebook Oculus has significantly lowered the barrier to entry for VR in terms of cost, integration, and ecosystem; originally, a VR PC and headset set cost at least 1000 USD, now standalone only requires 400 USD, and without the need for cumbersome setup, it helps attract more people to purchase.
- The entry cost for Windows MR standalone is also low, but the hardware, integration, and content are still inferior to Oculus.
- HTC hardware takes the high-end route, but loses in cost, integration, and ecosystem, they are almost out of Oculus’s sight.
