I’ve always wanted to try a VR headset but the only real opportunity I’ve had is one of those public stands you walk by at a trade show or mall and I wasn’t about to subject myself to look dumber than I already am.
Fortunately enough for me my work purchased a few of the Oculus Quest’s as giveaway promotions…FINALLY I was able to get my hands on one. I was certainly excited to try one but I was not prepared for how amazing it really was.
Most VR sets I was familiar with required a very expensive and power computer that you are plugged into. Not the Quest. It’s wireless, meaning no cables and everything you need is in your hands and on your face.
The second you put on the Quest you are greeted with a setup screen indication you need to create a boundary or as Oculus calls it a Guardian, which is very intuitive and simple to set up. Being inside of the Quest feels like you have just plugged in to Professor X’s Cerebro room in X-men or other words a giant, almost infinite dome in which you are the center.
First Steps
The first thing you do or should do is the getting started tutorial called “First Steps” and I must say this is by far the most intuitive, natural feeling tutorial I have ever done. Not since the iPhone has something been so user friendly. I’ve had everyone from kids, to older folks, to people who dont know anything about technology take these “First Steps” with out asking a single question on how to do it or with out any trouble which is amazing and a feat in itself.
This interactive tutorial is beautifully executed. You stand in a open futuristic, cartoonish world in front of a desk full of toys you can play with. The purpose of this is to become familiar with the controllers, within a minute these controllers feel as natural as your own hands and after a few minutes you forget you are even holding them. One thing that really blew me away was how everything interacted with everything. I was trying to find flaws in the tutorial but I couldn’t…and after ten or more minutes you completely forget your even in a VR set.
Youtube
I think one of the coolest features about VR and owning these headsets is the amount of free content on youtube. One of my favorite free 360 VR youtube video has to be Dreams of Dali: 360º Video. It is absolutely amazing and just gives you a taste of whats possible with VR.
Wanna go on an LSD trip? try this video
Pros:
- Cost ($399/$499)
- Wireless
- Free Content
- Easy setup
- User Friendly
Cons:
- Some games or older videos lack quality
- Can strain eyes after a while
Overall
In conclusion this is such an amazing product and such a perfect first step in VR for the masses. One thing I couldn’t help think about is that I paid more than twice what the Oculus Quest costs for my iPhone. For $399 or even $499 it feels like an absolute steal of a price and is worth every penny.