Oculus Quest VR headset brings interactivity without the wires

Virtual reality (VR) headset manufacturer Oculus has revealed details about its newest device, the Oculus Quest, which it says offers greater freedom of movement to users than its predecessors.

The Facebook-owned firm unveiled the launch last week at the Oculus Connect 5 conference in San Jose, California, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirming it as the final stage of the company’s highly-anticipated Project Santa Cruz.

Set for release in North America in spring 2019, the headset will retail at $399, matching the current price of Rift (which was $600 when it launched in 2016). However, Quest will come with the added bonus of not being tethered to a computer.

The Quest follows the release of the company’s first more budget-conscious headset, the Oculus GO, which also offers a cordless VR experience. However, unlike GO, Quest uses spatial tracking in a package specially designed for mobile, meaning you should get more precise interaction with what’s on screen and crucially, the ability to move around within the environment. In VR parlance, this is six degrees of freedom (6DOF) versus the GO’s 3DOF.

This improvement is thanks to Oculus Insight tracking, which replaces the Rift’s external sensors with four ultra-wide angle cameras mounted on the front of the headset. Combined with the Oculus Touch controllers, these cameras help to map your environment more accurately, improving how you interact with what’s in your headset….which, as you’re reading this here, is likely to be a whole world of VR porn. 

The Quest also features a 3D/spatial audio system, which means you get high-quality immersive sound without the need for headphones. You might still want to use them though. 

The display is a small step up from the Oculus Rift (1600 x 1440 pixels per eye versus 1200 x 1080), though it won’t be able to play most demanding of games. For that, you’ll still need the grunt of a VR-capable PC and a Rift. Nonetheless, Quest still promises to provide a fully immersive experience, paving the way for more VR innovation – and more experimental VR porn – to follow its release next spring.

Until then, check out our guide to Oculus GO or compare how different VR headsets measure up when used for watching porn. 

Read Next: Space to escape: Inside Japan’s pay-by-the-hour VR booths