Yes, the Oculus Quest 2 is absolutely worth buying in 2026

If you‘re considering getting your first virtual reality headset, or upgrading your existing setup, I highly recommend choosing the Oculus Quest 2 in 2024. In this detailed guide, I‘ll explain all the reasons why the Quest 2 remains an excellent value purchase even with new headsets on the horizon.

Overview – Why choose the Oculus Quest 2?

The Oculus Quest 2 is a standalone wireless VR headset that doesn‘t require a PC or wires to deliver immersive gaming and experiences. Here‘s a quick rundown of some of its top features:

• Completely wireless and portable thanks to built-in computing and battery
• Higher 1832×1920 pixel resolution per eye compared to older headsets
• Fast performance enabled by Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chip
• Hand tracking allows natural interaction without controllers
• Vibrant OLED display with vivid colors and deep blacks
• Large 6GB of RAM allows more advanced games and apps
• Refresh rates up to 120Hz for ultra smooth visuals
• Built-in speakers provide spatial audio without headphones
• Expandable storage from 128GB to 256GB

Despite being over 2 years old now, the Quest 2 offers features matched by few other headsets even now in 2024. And it does all of this at an incredibly affordable price starting at just $399 USD. There‘s a reason it remains #1 on sales charts!

Continued improvements make Quest 2 a smart buy

One common concern with older electronics is missing out on new features added after launch. Thankfully Meta rolls out frequent software updates for the Quest 2 that continuously improve it:

• New multitasking features – Added ability to pin apps so you can switch between them easily

• Mixed reality capture – Record yourself in real world while in VR

• Controller-free hand tracking – Use hands as input without controllers

• Cloud backup – Backup game data and settings to the cloud

• Air Link wireless streaming – Play PC VR games wirelessly from your PC

• Voice commands – Control apps and navigate menus with voice

• Fitness tracking – Monitor calories burned and heart rate in workout apps

• Productivity apps – Added support for apps like Immersed for working in VR

And Meta has confirmed even more cool features like face and eye tracking will eventually come to the Quest 2 as well. So it‘s going to keep getting better over time.

Huge selection of games and apps available

Another concern with aging consoles is lack of new software support. But that is absolutely not the case with the Quest 2.

There are currently over 300 games and apps available spanning every genre imaginable. Major franchises like Resident Evil, Myst, Star Wars Tales from the Galaxy‘s Edge, and GTA: San Andreas have full VR versions.

Fitness apps like Supernatural, FitXR, and Les Mills Bodycombat provide immersive workouts. Social apps like VRChat and Rec Room let you hang out with friends. Anything from shooting games to rhythm games to escape rooms is available.

And new games are coming out every single week! Some of my personal favorites from 2022 included NFL Pro Era, Cities VR, and Puzzle Bobble – and those are just a few I recommend checking out.

The Quest game library continues growing rapidly, so you‘ll never run out of new experiences.

Statistics source: Oculus Blog

And most games support cross-buy so when you buy a game on Quest you also get the Rift version for PC VR as well for one price. That‘s an amazing value!

Will the Oculus Quest 3 make Quest 2 obsolete?

Rumors have heated up around the Oculus Quest 3 launching sometime in 2024. Some people wonder if they should wait for the next generation. But I still firmly believe buying a Quest 2 now is a smart move even with Quest 3 on the horizon.

For starters, the Quest 3 will likely be a more premium product aimed at high-end users. Most reports suggest it will be sold at a higher price point compared to the very budget-friendly Quest 2. For anyone looking to spend $400 or less to get into VR, the Quest 2 remains the best option.

Additionally, Meta has stated the Quest 2 will still be supported and sold even after the Quest 3 is released. We can look to the past Oculus Quest and Rift S as examples – both headsets are still supported with software updates years after their successors launched.

And while the Quest 3 will bring improved specs and performance, the core wireless freedom and convenience of the Quest platform will remain the same. Eventually the Quest 3 will get features like the proposed eye and face tracking, so the Quest 2 will stay relevant hardware-wise for a long time still.

For these reasons, I suggest still buying a Quest 2 now to enjoy over a year of great VR gameplay until the Quest 3 releases and reviews are in. Don‘t feel like you need to keep waiting when the Quest 2 offers so much already!

My verdict – The Quest 2 is easily worth the investment in 2024

After reviewing all the facts, I have zero hesitations recommending the Oculus Quest 2 to friends or family members looking to buy a VR headset this year. There simply isn‘t another wireless VR product on the market currently that matches its combination of performance and value.

The Quest 2 will deliver an incredibly immersive introduction to virtual reality‘s possibilities today, and continue improving over time via Meta‘s updates. And with such a massive content library spanning gaming, fitness, social, and productivity experiences, you‘ll never run out of new things to enjoy in VR on the Quest 2.

For less than $400 you get complete wireless freedom from a PC, roomscale VR allowing you to move around without wires, and enough processing power to run the latest games. It‘s the closest we‘ve come to achieving that holodeck vision of the future.

If you have any interest in VR gaming, working out in VR, hanging out with distant friends and family in VR, or just want to experience the next evolution of computing, then I can‘t recommend the Oculus Quest 2 enough in 2024. It‘s my go-to VR headset personally and for everyone curious about entering this exciting new frontier of technology.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to share more of my experience using VR headsets over the last 5+ years and help explain this great new technology. The Oculus Quest 2 really does make an excellent and affordable first step into virtual reality.