Oculus Quest
| Oculus Quest | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | Standalone VR |
| Platform | Oculus Store |
| Developer | Oculus VR |
| Manufacturer | Meta Platforms |
| Announcement Date | September 2018 (OC5) |
| Release Date | May 21, 2019 |
| Price | $399 USD (64 GB), $499 USD (128 GB) |
| Website | https://www.meta.com/ |
| Predecessor | Oculus Go |
| Successor | Meta Quest 2 |
| System | |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 |
| Storage | |
| Storage | 64 GB, 128 GB |
| Memory | 4 GB |
| Display | |
| Display | 2× Pentile OLED |
| Resolution | 1440×1600 per eye |
| Refresh Rate | 72 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 93° |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Fresnel lenses |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| IPD Range | 58-72mm (3 presets) |
| Passthrough | Monochrome (Guardian) |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | Inside-out 6DoF (Oculus Insight, 4 cameras) |
| Eye Tracking | No |
| Hand Tracking | Yes (software update) |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Built-in speakers, 3.5mm jack |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (Oculus Link) |
| Device | |
| Weight | ~571g |
| Color | Black |
The Oculus Quest (first generation) is a standalone virtual reality head-mounted display developed by Oculus VR, released on May 21, 2019 at $399. It was the first all-in-one VR system with full 6 Degrees of Freedom tracking and Touch controllers, requiring no PC, wires, or external sensors. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with dual OLED displays, the Quest launched with 50+ titles and later received hand tracking and Oculus Link for PC VR compatibility. Road to VR called it "The First Great Standalone VR Headset." The Quest was discontinued in 2021, succeeded by the Meta Quest 2.
History and Development
Oculus announced the Quest at Oculus Connect 5 in September 2018 under the codename "Santa Cruz." It represented a major evolution from the Oculus Go (3DoF) by adding full positional tracking and Touch controllers in a wireless package.[1]
The Quest launched on May 21, 2019, the same day as the Oculus Rift S. It launched with over 50 titles including Beat Saber, Superhot VR, Robo Recall, Moss, and VRChat. Later updates added hand tracking (early 2020) and Oculus Link for PC VR connectivity.
The Quest was discontinued in 2021, with software support phased out beginning in 2023.[2]
Design and Hardware
Display
Dual OLED displays with Pentile matrix:
- Dual Pentile OLED panels
- 1440×1600 resolution per eye
- 72 Hz refresh rate
- 93° field of view
- Good blacks and contrast (OLED)
- Diamond Pentile subpixel arrangement
Processing
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC
- 4 GB RAM
- 3 CPU cores for software
- 1 core + 4 low-power cores for tracking
- 64 GB or 128 GB storage
Tracking
Oculus Insight inside-out tracking:
- 4 wide-angle cameras
- 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DoF)
- No external sensors required
- Real-time environment mapping
- Sub-millimeter precision
Controllers
Second-generation Oculus Touch:
- Two fully tracked controllers
- Analog thumbsticks
- Triggers and grip buttons
- Face buttons (A, B, X, Y)
- Tracking rings (visible to cameras)
- Accurate hand replication
Build
- ~571g weight
- Fabric covering
- Adjustable straps
- IPD adjustment (58-72mm, 3 presets)
- Side-mounted headphone jack
Audio
- Built-in speakers
- 3.5mm audio jack for headphones
- Positional audio support
Key Features
Standalone VR
No PC, wires, or external sensors:
- All-in-one VR experience
- Wireless freedom
- Quick setup
- Portable
Guardian System
Safety boundary feature:
- Draw play area boundary
- Passthrough+ shows real world when crossing
- Prevents collisions
- Stationary and room-scale modes
Hand Tracking
Added via software update (early 2020):
- Machine learning-based tracking
- No additional hardware required
- Gesture recognition
- Controller-free interaction
Oculus Link
PC VR connectivity (announced OC6, 2019):
- USB-C connection to PC
- Access Rift-compatible content
- Play PC VR games on Quest
- Hybrid standalone/PC VR device
Launch Titles
50+ titles at launch including:
- Beat Saber
- Superhot VR
- Robo Recall
- Moss
- VRChat
- Job Simulator
- Creed: Rise to Glory
Comparison with Quest 2
| Feature | Quest 1 | Quest 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Snapdragon 835 | XR2 |
| RAM | 4 GB | 6 GB |
| Display | OLED | LCD |
| Resolution | 1440×1600/eye | 1832×1920/eye |
| Refresh Rate | 72 Hz | 90/120 Hz |
| Weight | 571g | 503g |
| Price | $399 (64 GB) | $299 |
Reception
Praise:
- "The First Great Standalone VR Headset" - Road to VR
- True 6DoF without PC or wires
- Simple setup—works anywhere
- OLED displays with deep blacks
- Touch controllers excellent
- Hand tracking added via update
- Oculus Link adds PC VR capability
- Strong launch library
- Revolutionary for VR adoption
Criticism:
- Snapdragon 835 limited graphics
- 72 Hz only (no higher refresh)
- Front-heavy weight distribution
- Limited storage (64/128 GB)
- Facebook account required (later)
- Short product lifespan (discontinued 2021)
- Battery life 2-3 hours
- IPD limited to 3 presets[3]
See Also
References
- ↑ "Introducing Oculus Quest, Our First 6DOF All-in-One VR System, Launching Spring 2019". Meta. https://www.meta.com/blog/introducing-oculus-quest-our-first-6dof-all-in-one-vr-system-launching-spring-2019/.
- ↑ "Oculus Quest". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oculus_Quest.
- ↑ "Oculus Quest Review – The First Great Standalone VR Headset". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-quest-review-the-first-great-standalone-vr-headset/.
- ↑ "Oculus Quest Specs, Price, Release Date And Everything Else We Know". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/oculus-quest-specs-price-release-date/.