Some time ago we talked about that (here), but this was just a teaser. We are still pretty sure that Oculus Quest 3 is coming – and today we are going to discuss this topic a little bit further. Why are we even doing that? Simply because we believe that Oculus Quest 2 is not only the best standalone VR headset but, taking into account all circumstances, the best VR headset for VR porn EVER! Having in mind that Oculus Quest 3 will be even better… huh, we are already hyped and both we and our VR sex scenes can't wait for this amazing piece of virtual reality hardware!
Life as a viewer of premium VR porn movies in 2021 is not easy. The huge development of this technology is now being determined by our reality… including graphics card prices, cryptocurrencies, chip supply and manufacturing, and consoles! High-quality virtual reality has become a pastime that requires a hefty wallet, as the limited supply of components has led to a disconnect between the suggested price and that on the shelf. This includes graphics cards, which are disappearing from stores in no time, but also consoles like the Xbox and PS5. Luckily for premium VR porn videos, Facebook's strategy is to primarily increase the platform's user population, which translates to making the Oculus Quest an affordable device, especially when compared to PC hardware.
In a Steam poll, this August, the number of users of Quest 2 devices and RTX 3070 + RTX 3080 graphics cards appeared to be similar. Is standalone VR the future? Yes.
The Oculus Quest 2 from Facebook is a device that has made a huge difference in the industry. The manufacturer's support and software development should be taken as a great example. For a year of the device's presence on the market, users received a number of updates that greatly expanded the capabilities of the headset. 120 Hz mode for the screen (at the time of release 72 Hz), AirLink, features for working with phones – these and other features, could be a good list of improvements if they decided to introduce them in the third installment of the Quest, and we are hoping to see that in regards to our VR porn videos, too!
The Quest 2 at launch and its current version are almost two different devices. If software development allows for such big steps within a generation, what might the next hardware iteration surprise us with?
Let's Start with the History
The first Quest was built on an SoC manufactured by Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 835 model, a chip familiar to cell phone users. It includes 8 ARM cores, 4 GB of RAM, and an Adreno 540 chip, responsible for graphics calculations. It is the first mobile chip to offer Variable Refresh Rate and Foveated Rendering technologies.
The Quest 2 is powered by the XR2 chip, a unit already prepared for the development of eXtended Reality (XR) products, expanding the capabilities of the Snapdragon 865 chip, which is its base. Qualcomm assures that the XR2 platform offers twice the performance of both CPU AND GPU (Adreno 650) than the Quest 1. It also has more RAM memory – 6 GB. This may be new information for some readers – the Vive Focus 3, which is much more expensive than the Quest 2, is based on the same hardware. Surprised, huh?
In That Case, What Can We Expect in the Next Version?
Certainly that again the heart of the device will be a Qualcomm product. For various reasons, Facebook will not open to solutions from Samsung or Mediatek. It will probably be a chip based on Snapdragon 888 unit. The chip should offer support for HDR10+ modes and screens with a 144 Hz refresh rate – or at least we are hoping for that in regards to our VR porn videos.
This already gives us a hint of what we can expect. The hardware is likely to have 8 GB of RAM and there will be a version with 512 GB of storage for user data. The jump in performance will certainly be used for the number of frames per second generated in applications, saturating the high refresh rate of screens. In addition to the increase in computing power of the device, what else can the opportunity to create a new version be used for? Maybe interactive VR porn videos, huh?
Let's Pull Out the Glass Ball and Do Some Magic
At the top of the list should be solutions to correct the shortcomings made in the transition from the mk1 to the mk2 model – battery life and control over the IPD setting. Unlike the Quest 1, which allowed you to set the lens spacing from 58 mm – 72 mm, the successor offers only three settings 58 mm – 61 mm, 62 mm – 66 mm, and 66 mm – 70 mm. More freedom in adjusting this parameter can significantly affect the quality of the image the user sees through the lens.
Further improvements are welcome in terms of resolution, or generally, the technology in which the screen panel will be made (micro led perhaps?), frame rate, or HDR mode support. It is very possible that along with the change of lenses and screens, we will also gain a wider field of view (FoV).
Many users would certainly be happy if the next model would include new solutions in the field of connectivity and additional features added through, for example, more USB-C ports, or improved cooperation with BT headphones, whose current use is burdened with considerable delays in audio transmission – and this could solve us a lot of problems with high-quality VR sex experiences. In addition, it seems likely to introduce a standard Wifi 6e to improve the performance and capabilities of the AirLink function.
Maybe an "outdoor play" mode by the way? Possibly at least the ability to "remember" several game areas (different rooms in the apartment). It is tempting to envision a redesign of the Quest that would result in the battery of the rest of the device being separated and built into the head strap so that the weight distribution on the head is more comfortable. Ideally, the battery used would be roomier and lighter than those currently used.
However, let's let the imagination go even further. A nice surprise would be the introduction of cameras that will give the user a color image, not just monochrome. Preferably with a built-in LIDAR chip that will allow automatic scanning of the environment and the introduction of AR functionality, or at least a significant improvement in the operation of hand-tracking, which probably most needs a "new generation" to stop being a curiosity. This brings us to the controllers. The way they work persuades us to stick with the current form factor, but the new version may surprise us. Facebook has long been working on a controller that will become as basic a tool as the mouse for personal computers.
And What Do the Leaks Say About It?
We already talked about that on our blog (here), but nowhere among the rumors has the appearance of the entire design of the headset surfaced, although the expansion of the functions of tracking the movements of the user and the environment, may require the placement of more sensors and cameras on the housing, which will certainly affect the final shape and design of the set. According to reports from one Reddit user, the Oculus Quest v32 firmware includes strings relating to the Quest Pro and face and eye-tracking. See the post by information author Reggy04 on Reddit.
Quest Pro
It appears that the reference to Quest Pro comes from the hand tracking configuration process. The message reports that estimates are collected about the size and movement of the hands to create the best possible virtual representation of them.
Face and Eye Tracking
Calibration text for both face and eye-tracking is present in the Oculus firmware. While this does not confirm that the Quest Pro will have these features, it does suggest that Facebook is testing them on a real standalone headset, not just PC-based lab prototypes.
The facial tracking calibration asks you to smile, get angry, furrow your brow, and then frown (perhaps because of the purpose of making faces). It is unclear if the system is simply meant to detect these four states, or if only the exact shape and movement of the lips is meant to be relayed to the app as with the face tracker of HTC's Vive Pro.
Adjusting the Depth of the Lens
A mention of a "depth button" to adjust the longitudinal distance between the lens and the eyes was also found. According to it, when the button is pressed, it will be possible to move the goggles closer or further away from the face.
Lens depth adjustment, present in headsets such as Valve Index, allows the user to balance comfort with the wider field of view provided by closer lenses. The depth button already existed in the Rift S on PC, but this firmware is for the Quest series on Android.
All Cool, But When?
Next year. It is in 2022 that new VR devices from Sony (PS VR 2) and Apple are expected to hit the market. In order to stay in the leading position in VR, Facebook may decide to release a new headset earlier than the competition, which is speculated to be ready to show its solutions only in the third quarter, or even later – during Christmas holidays.
Until then, we can only keep our fingers crossed for the prices of graphics cards to drop in order to boost the PC VR scene, where the debut of technologies that could transform the use of virtual reality devices in the future. If you are interested in what these innovations are and what impact they could have on VR platforms, let us know! We are trying to stay on top of all this hot news that could change our VR porn movies, but we could always use a little help of yours! So, the viewers of VR sex experiences: What improvements and additions are you guys hoping for in the next version?
More such news about VR porn technology, VR headsets, and everything else related to virtual reality sex can be found pretty much every week at VR Bangers' main page (here).
