Oculus Quest
The Oculus Quest (retroactively Meta Quest 1) is a standalone virtual reality head-mounted display developed by Oculus VR, released May 21, 2019 starting at $399. The first 6DoF standalone VR system from Oculus, featuring dual OLED displays at 1440x1600 per eye, Snapdragon 835 processor, Oculus Insight inside-out tracking with 4 cameras, hardware IPD adjustment, and second-generation Oculus Touch controllers. Discontinued September 2020, succeeded by Quest 2.
| Oculus Quest | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-Mounted Display |
| Subtype | Standalone VR |
| Platform | Oculus Platform |
| Developer | Oculus VR |
| Manufacturer | Facebook Technologies |
| Announcement Date | September 26, 2018 (Oculus Connect 5) |
| Release Date | May 21, 2019 |
| Price | $399 USD (64GB) / $499 USD (128GB) |
| Website | https://www.meta.com/ |
| Predecessor | Oculus Go |
| Successor | Meta Quest 2 |
| System | |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 |
| Storage | |
| Storage | 64GB / 128GB |
| Display | |
| Display | OLED (dual Pentile) |
| Resolution | 1440x1600 per eye |
| Refresh Rate | 72 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 93° |
| Optics | |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 6DoF (inside-out, 4 cameras) |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Integrated speakers + 3.5mm jack |
| Connectivity | |
| Device | |
History and Development
Oculus announced the Quest (codenamed "Santa Cruz") at Oculus Connect 5 on September 26, 2018, releasing May 21, 2019. Positioned between the low-end Go and PC-tethered Rift S, the Quest delivered room-scale 6DoF VR without external sensors or PC. Powered by mobile hardware but supporting full Touch controllers, it launched the "all-in-one" premium VR category. Oculus Link (November 2019) added PC VR capability via USB. Discontinued September 2020 upon Quest 2 launch.[1]
Design and Hardware
Display
Dual OLED panels:
- 1440x1600 per eye resolution
- 2880x1600 combined
- Dual Pentile OLED displays
- 72 Hz refresh rate
- 93° field of view
- True blacks
Processing
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
- 4GB RAM
- Mobile VR optimized
- 3 cores for software
- 1 core + efficiency cores for tracking
Tracking
Oculus Insight:
- 4-camera inside-out tracking
- 6DoF headset and controllers
- Room-scale capable
- Guardian boundary system
- No external sensors
IPD
- Hardware IPD adjustment
- 58-72mm range
- Physical slider
- Real-time adjustment
Audio
- Integrated speakers
- Near-ear design
- 3.5mm audio jack
- Spatial audio
Battery
- ~2-3 hours usage
- Varies by application
- USB-C charging
Storage
- 64GB ($399)
- 128GB ($499)
- No expandable storage
Controllers
Second-generation Oculus Touch:
- 6DoF tracking
- Tracking rings on top
- Analog sticks
- Face buttons (A/B, X/Y)
- Triggers
- Grip buttons
- Oculus/Menu buttons
- Capacitive touch sensing
Oculus Link
PC VR capability (November 2019):
- USB 3.0 cable connection
- Access to Rift library
- PC-powered graphics
- Hybrid standalone/PC operation
Hand Tracking
Added December 2019:
- Controller-free interaction
- Camera-based tracking
- Supported in select apps
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 1440x1600 OLED x2 |
| Combined | 2880x1600 |
| Refresh Rate | 72 Hz |
| FOV | 93° |
| Processor | Snapdragon 835 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Tracking | Inside-out (4 cameras) |
| IPD | 58-72mm (hardware) |
| Battery | ~2-3 hours |
| Storage | 64GB / 128GB |
| Price | $399 / $499 |
Reception
Praise:
- First 6DoF standalone
- No PC required
- No external sensors
- Room-scale capable
- Full Touch controllers
- Hardware IPD adjustment
- OLED quality
- Guardian system
- Oculus Link versatility
- Industry-defining product
Criticism:
- 72Hz only
- Snapdragon 835 aging
- Battery life limited
- Front-heavy design
- Storage not expandable
- Discontinued quickly
- Mobile graphics limitations
- 4GB RAM limiting[2]