Competition in the VR scene has been fierce for years now, but one of the big winners is undoubtedly the Facebook-owned Oculus. With their mix of midrange pricing and high-quality hardware, the Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift S headsets strike the perfect balance.
But which of the two is better? The wireless Quest or the wired Rift S designed for PC? I'm here to give you the Oculus Quest vs. Oculus Rift S verdict.
In Quest's defense, the immersion of virtual reality isn't just in the graphics, it's in the freedom of movement. And in that regard, the Quest more than makes up for its lesser firepower. Being able to freely play a boxing game like Thrill of the Fight in an area the size of a real boxing ring, or move around the Superhot slow-motion shooter without worrying about twisting in cables, is extremely liberator.
Another objective benefit of the Quest headset is the OLED display, which offers deeper, richer blacks than the older Rift S LCD display.
Things get interesting with Oculus Link, a feature that has been claimed by some to be the cable to cannibalize the Oculus Rift S in favor of the Quest. Thanks to a software update introduced in late 2019 called Oculus Link, you can connect your Oculus Quest to your PC and use it to play PC VR games, just like the Rift S. You can use the rather expensive Link Cable Oculus, or any other USB 3.1 data transport cable.
While the Link isn't perfect yet, it allows you to really harness the full hardware capabilities of the Quest headset, playing PC VR games like you would on a Rift S. Some say the picture isn't as clear as on the Rift S, but in reality it is barely noticeable (especially if you increase the resolution of the quest in the debug tool).
So with the miracle of Oculus Link, you can essentially make the Oculus Quest do the same job as the Rift, while still being a deceptively powerful wireless headset with its own set of apps and features. games.
At an identical price of $399, it's easy to draw a head-to-head comparison:Oculus Quest vs. Oculus Rift S. More "hardcore" VR gamers may say that the Rift S, being designed for PC, performs better with PC games, but the differences are really marginal compared to the Quest when used with the Link cable. Add to that the Quest's higher resolution (when modded) and wireless capabilities, and it turns out to be the much more versatile device.
If you really want a graphically optimal VR experience, then you'll need to check out the $1,000 Valve Index along with a powerful PC graphics card to feel the difference. But in the midrange, the plucky Quest wins.
Want to test your PC for VR? Here's how to run a GPU benchmark test in Windows 10. Given how hard you'll be pushing your PC, you should also check out our guide on checking CPU temperatures in Windows 10.
