Facebook announced its newest VR headset, the Oculus Rift S at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. But the social media platform, which acquired Oculus in 2016, also introduced the Oculus Quest, a totally new standalone, self-contained mobile VR system. Both the headsets are due to be launched this spring, which makes it clear that Oculus is using it as an opportunity to unify its PC-based VR headset and standalone VR headset.
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Comparing the two, you can see they’re extremely similar. They share the same game platform that will play most, if not all, of the same titles, and a software experience that will look familiar to anyone who previously used an Oculus product. Perhaps the biggest difference between them is in maneuverability.
While Oculus Rift S isn’t Oculus Rift 2, it is a replacement for the original Rift CV1, and it too requires a connected PC to power it. Oculus Quest, on the other hand, doesn’t need to PC to be powered, instead it’s powered by a self-contained Snapdragon 835 processor (CPU) and has a higher resolution for its dual OLED displays.
“The Oculus Rift S works with the Oculus Touch controllers that also work with the Quest. These shared controllers have vibration, analog control sticks, buttons and dual triggers. They’re able to recognize when your fingers are on or off the buttons, allowing for grabbing-like motions,” reports CNet.
Oculus Rift S has access to existing Rift CV1 titles, but the Oculus Quest doesn’t use the existing Rift library.
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Oculus Rift S has five insight sensors and a higher refresh rate, but the Oculus Quest has four insight sensors and a lower refresh rate.
Oculus Rift S has a lower-res LCD display, while Oculus Quest boasts high-res, dual OLED displays.
Both headsets have updated touch controllers.
Both Oculus Rift S and Oculus Quest are priced at $399.
So, which one should you buy?
If you want a wireless experience, the Quest is for you. But if you want the most advanced Oculus VR immersion, buy the Rift S, suggests Mashable.
