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This article highlights the main differences between the Oculus Quest 1 and 2, Meta’s recently released headset & it’s predecessor
In this article, we will cover:
The main difference is the much-improved chipset. The new Oculus headset works with a Snapdragon XR2 system, allowing better and more comprehensive games and applications to be played on the VR headset. This is a significant improvement over the old system the Oculus Quest 1 used, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835.
The Quest 2 has a significantly improved screen resolution over the Quest 1, providing a better and more immersive visual experience. In detail, the Quest 2 has a screen resolution of 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye, while its predecessor comes out at 1440 x 1600 pixels per eye. It is an increase of approximately 50%, which will provide a much sharper image.
In addition, the new Oculus VR headset has an LCD screen instead of an OLED screen. An OLED screen contains pixels that glow by themselves, while that is not the case with an LCD. There, light is made possible by small LED lights mounted around the screen. A disadvantage of LCD is that the color black cannot be displayed one hundred percent – unlike OLED – but this disadvantage is minimal.
With the Oculus Quest 1, the headset has a sturdy headband. Comparably its successor has been replaced by a looser and less comfortable band. We recommend buying the Elite Strap for optimal user-friendliness. The advantage of the separate headband is that the new VR headset is significantly lighter: 503 grams against 571 grams with the Oculus Quest 1.
Recently, Quest 2’s price increased to €449.99, excluding VAT for the 128 GB version.Before this increase, Quest 2 was known to be the best all-around standalone headset with a lower, subsidized price by Meta. The reason was to increase the adoption of its headset and Meta platform, making up for the financial loss of the headset from the user’s data.
For business use, Oculus / Meta Quest 2 does not seem very suitable. A good alternative, in this case, is the Pico Neo 3 Pro, although the Neo 3 Pro is more expensive. Alternatively, the new Pico 4 is cheaper than Quest 2 and is more comfortable to wear with its pancake optics resulting in a much smaller and lighter form factor. Additionally, Pico 4 has a crisper display and a more immersive, wider field of view.Here is a breakdown of the technical differences between the Oculus Quest 1, Meta Quest 2, and Pico 4.
Oculus Quest 1 | Oculus / Meta Quest 2 | Pico 4 | |
Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 |
Image resolution | 1440 x 1600 pixels per eye | 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye | 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye |
Optics | Fresnel | Fresnel | Pancake |
Headstrap | Sturdy hard band | Loose strap | Comfortable strap |
Weight | 503 grams | 571 grams | 295 grams |
Price | €380 excl VAT | €449.99 (128 GB) | €429 (128 GB) |
Memory | 64 GB or 256 GB | 128 GB or 256 GB | 128 GB or 256 GB |
RAM | 6 GB | 6 GB | 8 GB |
Refresh Rate | 72/90 Hz | 72/90/120 Hz | 72/90 Hz |
Battery life | 2 hours | 2-2.5 hours | 3 hours |
Standalone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
If you’re in doubt if the Quest 2 is the right headset for business use, please check out our FAQ about the Quest 2.
Jakob Pii is the Head Writer at VR Expert and currently lives in the UK. He started his career in VR gaming in 2015 and has stayed in XR since, from exposure therapy in VR to 360-degree video documentaries. He is fascinated by how emerging technologies change how we live, play and work.
