A faster and lighter Oculus Quest could be in the works, as Facebook is reportedly working on a new virtual reality headset with redesigned controllers as well.
While the Oculus Rift S and Oculus Go aren’t going anywhere, the wireless self-contained Oculus Quest could be undergoing a redesign, according to Bloomberg. Not only is the model expected to be smaller, lighter, and have a faster display refresh rate, but multiple versions of the new headset are being worked upon.
- These are the best VR headsets you can currently buy
- Plus: How to watch Solar Opposites online
- Just in: New Apple TV with A12X Bionic power is imminent
The reason for multiple models is apparently down to Facebook not having finalised the design of its next VR headset. And the new headset could also be delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to those in the know about Facebook’s VR plans.
The Oculus Quest made its debut early last year and was praised for offering an all-in-one VR experience that didn’t need to be connected to a PC, games console or smartphone. But its display was found to be a little lacking in clarity, so a new display with an improved refresh rate could certainly improve upon that.
Facebook is apparently testing Quests with displays that have a 120Hz refresh rate, but might clock the display panel at 90Hz so the new headset doesn’t consume battery power too quickly. But a 90Hz refresh rate would be a decent upgrade over the Oculus Quest’s 60Hz panel.
It’s also very likely that a new Oculus Quest will have a more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile chip, giving the headset more scope to power more graphically rich games and virtual reality experiences.
In our Oculus Quest review, we found the controllers to be one of the best parts. But it looks like Facebook wants to improve upon them, or add new features. There are murmurs that the straps on the controllers could be made out of an elastic material rather than rubber and velcro, which could make them more durable than those in other Oculus headsets.
Bloomberg’s sources also noted that Facebook is working on an augmented reality Oculus headset. But that headset also looks to have been delayed by the COVID-19 outbreak as hardware development has been slowed and lab testing access has been lost. Such an AR headset had been roughly scheduled to make its debut in 2023.
