Oculus Quest Vs. Rift: Which VR Gaming System Is Best for You?
If you're looking to dive into VR gaming, which Oculus system should you buy: the high-specs Rift or the budget-friendly Quest? | Source: ALAIN JOCARD / AFP
By CCN.com: Let’s face it, VR is dank. The only significant barrier for most gamers is the cost. Cost doesn’t so much mean the $400 entry-level price tag for Oculus VR gaming, but rather the average $800-$1,000 minimum for a VR-capable gaming desktop.
If you want a laptop, expect to pay substantially more. If you include such peripherals as a haptic vest and a VR treadmill, the price increases further, adding anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand extra dollars to the cost of entry.
That in mind, which Oculus gaming system should you invest in – the Quest or the Rift ?
The Case for the Oculus Quest
Oculus released the Quest in 2019, a gaming-ready counterpart to the Oculus Go, a mainly video-oriented headset. Since its release, the Oculus Quest has garnered substantial amounts of attention for reduced VR nausea and notably higher video quality output. There are several downsides to the Quest, however.
- Due to being a self-contained VR headset, it will age much faster than a gaming PC.
- Relatively short battery life due to lacking a power cord, which is included in the wiring for Rift and Rift S
- Substantially more limited space due to being a self-contained gaming unit—much like a mobile phone. Max storage available is currently 128GB ($500)
The Oculus Quest presents a shining option for general users but can be expected to fall short for the enthusiast and hobbyist-level users. Having said that, however, the Quest has worked wonders for some titles.
One such title was Red Matter , which exceeded all of their last several months’ Rift sales in just one week on the Quest. The sci-fi puzzle game was developed with custom shaders in Unreal Engine, allowing for more advanced lighting effects than other Quest titles. It has been touted as the “most visually stunning game on the Quest.”
The Case for the Oculus Rift
The Oculus Rift, however, has far more upgrades and accessories available to keep it relevant for years to come. Hardware upgrades include RTX 2080 Ti graphics cards, haptic suits, VR treadmills, surround-sound systems, and more.
For the best VR option, the Rift takes the cake for anyone seeking to dive deep into VR. The Quest, however, provides entry-level access to VR gaming in a way that is absolutely necessary for mass-market adoption of the technology.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not represent those of, nor should they be attributed to, CCN.com.
