Meta Quest 2 vs Oculus Rift S: Which one should you buy? The standalone VR headset or the PCVR-only

Price

How do the prices of the Oculus Rift S and Oculus Quest 2 compare? Well, the Quest 2 is among the most affordable VR headsets available, originally starting at $399.99 for its base model with 128GB of storage, or $499.99 for the model with 256GB of storage.

The Quest 2 often goes on sale too, including at the time of writing this comparison – Meta currently sells it for $349.99 and $429.99 respectively.

As for the Rift S, it's no longer available at Meta's website, which would instead point you towards buying the Quest 2, but you can still buy a new Rift S from other retailers. Its current price is normally between $399-$480, but it can be found much cheaper second hand.

Meta Quest 2 (SAVE $64)

Advanced All-In-One Virtual Reality Headset — 256 GB Get Meta Quest 2 with GOLF+ and Space Pirate Trainer DX included

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Oculus Rift S (BUY NEW OR USED)

PC-Powered VR Gaming Headset; available both new and used. Price varies depending on its condition.

Buy at Amazon

Design and comfort

Here's an important question for gamers who plan on having long VR sessions – which device is more comfortable to wear: the Oculus Rift S or the Oculus Quest 2?

While both headsets weigh about the same, the Quest 2 feels quite a bit more substantial, and there's a good reason for it – lots of components inside – its own processor, storage, and even a battery.

Meanwhile the Rift S, which has none of that, does feel a bit more hollow and ever so slightly cheaper. However, I can't deny that it feels lighter too, which is definitely a good thing.



Both headsets are made of plastic, but the Quest 2 is white and very minimalistic in its design, perhaps even a tad boring. The Rift S is black and its cameras do add some flair, plus its head strap is pretty intricate, while the Quest's default head strap is as simple as it gets.

Now, I have the Kiwi Elite Strap attached to my Quest 2, which you're seeing in our comparison photos, but the default strap is pretty simple, thin, and thanks to that – comfortable even if you're lying down.

The Rift S' more intricate head strap does look like serious business, and it is comfortable too, but you definitely can't rest your head on a pillow or anything like that while wearing it. There is thick plastic on the back and sides.

Ultimately though, both headsets are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, so long as you won't have a problem with their weight of about 500 grams.

But the Quest 2, as you've already noticed, has interchangeable head straps. So if you don't like the default one, you can do like I did and buy one of the many available first and third party ones, which is a plus for customizability.

Even if the default strap is uncomfortable for you, which I doubt it will be, you have plenty of other options to try out. Whereas the Rift S better be comfortable, because that's it.

Display (FOV, resolution, refresh rate, IPD)

Aside from the FOV (field of view), the Quest 2 has the lead in all display specs over the Rift S. The Quest 2 sports a higher-resolution screen, which means sharper and clearer VR images, plus it supports higher refresh rates, which translate to a smoother and less nauseating gaming experience. Here are the display spec differences in a nutshell:


That last one is very important – IPD; it stands for Inter Pupillary Distance, and means the distance between your eyes' pupils. If your IPD doesn't fit between what each VR headset supports, you'll have a hard time focusing on the image, and remaining comfortable while playing in VR.

So it's always important to roughly measure your IPD just in case, before buying a VR headset. In the case of those two Meta headsets, they're both adjustable between the sizes listed above, and should fit most people comfortably.

For me, as I appear to have a slightly larger IPD, the Rift S' higher IPD numbers mean it fits me better, and feels more comfortable to me than the Quest 2, but your experience will vary depending on your own IPD.

It's worth pointing out that the Quest 2's lenses can literally be snapped between three different IPD positions, while the Rift S lenses cannot, the IPD is fixed and is meant to fit you merely thanks to the larger lenses.

You can adjust the Rift S IPD from the software side, via the Oculus app on Windows, but I didn't notice that doing anything significant. So in theory, when it comes to IPD, the Quest 2 is likely to fit most people more comfortably.

Specs aside – here's what I've noticed from real life usage – the Rift S for sure has the worse display, with visible pixels and a screen door effect, reminiscent of the early Rift headsets.

Its lower resolution only bodes well for one thing – if your PC isn't powerful enough, it will have an easier time rendering VR games in that one, rather than the Quest 2's higher resolution. That's about it.

The Quest 2 has a sharper display, no visible pixels and virtually no screen door effect to be noticed, so yeah – a "clear" winner here.

But in fairness to the Rift S, it's not too far behind, and all the above-mentioned nitpicks can be (mostly) ignored when you start playing.

There's something else worth mentioning, though – I'm noticing that the Rift S' screen is not just lower-rez, but also darker than the Quest 2, so some games are harder to see clearly. The Quest 2's display is not a brightness champ by any means either, but it is noticeably brighter than the Rift S.

In concussion, besides its lower FOV, the Quest 2 is better than the Rift S in every way, when it comes to the image quality. The difference between the two is very noticeable if you compare them side-by-side like I did. The Quest 2's screen is a huge improvement.

Connectivity, setup and ease of use

The Quest 2 is as simple to set up and get going as you can hope for from a VR headset. It's standalone, so you don't need to connect it to a PC; everything happens in it. Although occasionally buggy, its software is pretty simple and intuitive to use, and the most tedious part would be typing in your WiFi password or making a Meta account, or logging into one. Because yes, it's required.

Meanwhile the Rift S relies on your PC, and in turn – Windows, for everything, so you can bump into a ton of issues during the setup process.



I personally had "headset sensor check" errors while initially trying to connect it to my PC, since Windows wouldn't give the Oculus app camera access (needed, because the headset has five cameras).

Once I sorted that out, for some reason the Quest software told me to try plugging the headset's USB plug into different USB ports until that finally got resolved also…

Later that day I went to use the Rift S again and got a black screen with just sound, which appears to be a common issue people have. I fixed it by plugging it into one of my PC's other DisplayPorts. Go figure what that was about. So yeah, "fun" stuff.

Again, none of those issues if you're just using the Quest 2.

Software / User interface

The Quest 2 is running its own operating system based on Android, similarly to your smartphone (well, unless it's an iPhone). So the Quest 2 has its own app store, its own dedicated apps and games, its own web browser, file browser; own screen recording features – everything is running directly on it.

And I have to say, again – while occasionally buggy, I'm really happy with Meta's work on the Quest 2's software. The headset eventually got multitasking features, like using 3 web browser tabs at a time, so it's not just ready for gaming, but some web surfing and light work too.

It also has hard tracking recognition now, which is meant to let you use it without the controllers, and is a bit fiddly still, but I appreciate bonus features like that.



On top of all of its standalone features, the Quest 2 can actually pair wirelessly to a PC, if you have a reasonably powerful one, and a fast internet connection. That's called AirLink, and it's pretty amazing. You then get to use the Quest 2 as a regular PC-tethered headset if that's what you want – without any wires going from your headset to your PC. And it's a really reliable connection too!

As for the Rift S, its interface is pretty much the AirLink interface you'll get if you connect your Quest 2 to your PC. It's kind of basic, but good enough for you to launch one of your recently played PC VR games from the headset, and get going.

To be fair, if you're using Rift S, you'll likely just do everything (including launching games) from the Windows PC that it's connected to, so it doesn't really need any special software or features. Again, it's not a standalone headset like the Quest 2; just a simple, regular VR headset for your PC.

Head tracking and cameras

Do the Oculus Rift S and Oculus Quest 2 require external sensors for tracking? The answer is, thankfully – no.

The Quest 2 has four cameras, while the Rift S has five, and both headsets use them to track your head's position in 3D space. Both headsets do a great job at it, and both headsets are super simple in the sense that neither requires you to use special tracking devices, which some other headsets (like the Valve Index or HTC Vive) need, in order to track your position at all.

Speaking of their cameras, both headsets have a feature called passthrough, which lets you see your environment while wearing them (at least in some conditions), as seen through their cameras.

However, both headsets also only have monochrome cameras, so don't expect any color. And while they're all very grainy cameras too, the Rift S does appear to have the slightly sharper ones. But this doesn't actually reflect on your experience whatsoever, since it's unlikely that you'll be using (and seeing) passthrough that often, if at all.

Guardian and VR safety

Both the Quest 2 and Rift S have a feature called Guardian, which aims to keep you safe from bumping into walls or tripping over objects in your real environment, while in VR.

You'll first be asked to touch a controller to the floor of your room, so the headset knows where the floor is, and how tall you are, then you'll likely want to draw a virtual wall around any objects on the floor, or any walls, in your surroundings.

The Guardian feature will then keep all that in mind, and warn you if you start getting close to any walls, so you'd know to step back.

And speaking of safety features, the controllers also have lanyard hooks so you won't accidentally drop them.

Controllers

Both the Quest 2 and Rift S have controllers that are powered by a single AA battery each, so unfortunately – neither has controllers with rechargeable batteries. Still, a single battery can last for a couple of weeks, if not more, at least if it's an alkaline battery, so that's good.

You slide a little battery lid downwards to reveal the controllers' battery compartments, although I did immediately notice that the Rift S' battery compartment lid snaps back on thanks to magnets, which feels a bit more premium than the Quest 2's lid, which requires manual slotting back in.



Both VR headsets' controllers have the same large plastic ring around basically the same buttons and joysticks. Both also have lanyard hooks, as previously mentioned, which you can tighten around your wrist so as to not accidentally drop or throw a controller while playing a more physically intensive game, say, Beat Saber.

Audio quality

This is yet another area where the Quest 2 runs circles around the Rift S.

Both headsets have dual stereo speakers built in, and while the Rift S' speakers get the job done, sounding clear, and going reasonably loud, the Quest 2's speakers are vastly more rich in mids and bass, and even louder.

This bodes well for immersion, and particularly when playing music-based games like Beat Saber. The Quest 2's speakers actually pack a punch, and impress, considering they have to be tiny and built into the sides of its head mount. The Rift S' speakers sound pretty tinny in comparison.



Of course, both headsets have 3.5mm audio jacks, so you can always plug in your own headphones, but simpler is better, so the Quest 2 is an easy winner here too.

Battery life and charging

This entire paragraph applies only to the Quest 2, as it's the only headset of the two that actually has a built-in battery, and thus – can be used completely wire-free. It has a 3640 mAh battery, which regularly lasts me anywhere between 1.5 and 2 hours.

That may not sound like a lot, but let's face it – up to 2 hours of VR gaming is about the most you should be playing before needing to take a break. The headset then charges via a USB Type-C port.

As for the Rift S – again, it's not a standalone headset so it's always plugged into your PC, meaning you always have cables dangling from it, but in return – it never "runs out of battery" or needs charging.

But hey, say the power goes out – both your PC and Rift S will turn off immediately too. Meanwhile the Quest 2 will still be rocking on, and it's even kind of portable – can be used on the go for watching movies on a bus, or playing a few games in a hotel room.

Not saying you should use this bulky thing in public, but yeah – you can.

Oculus Rift S vs Quest 2 specs comparison

  

What are the minimum PC requirements for the Oculus Rift S and Oculus Quest 2 (when using Oculus Link)?

Again, to make it perfectly clear – the Quest 2 is a standalone headset, so you don't have to use it with a PC. But you can, so let's answer that question, if you intend to.

The Rift S' minimum PC requirements are, at absolute minimum, an Intel i3-6100 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200, FX4350 processor, an NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 470 graphics card, 8GB of RAM, Windows 10 or 11, one USB 3 port and one DisplayPort.

Obviously, better specs are recommended, especially for playing heavier games (e.g. SkyrIm VR, Half-Life:Alyx), such as an Intel i5, and an NVIDIA GTX 1060 graphics card.

When it comes to the Quest 2, it can connect to your PC either wirelessly via AirLink, or with a Quest Link cable (sold separately). According to Meta, its recommended PC requirements are pretty much the same as the Rift S, except for the DisplayPort – you don't need that with the Quest 2.

It's worth noting that from my personal experience, I was able to get the VR headsets going on a cheap gaming laptop, which was a pretty low bar. A lot of VR games can be played on lower-spec PCs if you're willing to downgrade their visuals, albeit the experience won't be too great.

I eventually ended up buying a powerful gaming PC, and that's pretty much the way to go if you really want to play PC VR games – be prepared to spend a lot of money.

Or, you know, just play the Quest 2 standalone, and don't worry about any of that! Just don't expect it to ever have games like Skyrim VR or Half-Life: Alyx running directly on it. For those – tethering it to a gaming PC is the only way.

Can the Oculus Rift S be used wirelessly like the Oculus Quest 2?

Nope, only the Quest 2 can be paired wirelessly with your PC. The Rift S has two cables – USB and DisplayPort, which have to be plugged into your PC at all times, for it to work.

So if you don't like dealing with cables, once again – I have to recommend the Quest 2.

Is it possible to play PCVR games on the Oculus Quest 2 using Oculus Link or Virtual Desktop?

Yes, the Quest 2 can pair to your PC via AirLink, an Oculus Link cable, or with the Virtual Desktop app. When you do that, you can play pretty much all the PCVR games the Rift S can play.

Are the same games and apps available for both the Oculus Rift S and Oculus Quest 2?

Not exactly. The Quest 2 has its own app store and its own dedicated games made specifically for it. However, the Quest 2 can connect to a gaming PC, if you have one, and when that's the case – it can indeed play exactly the same games that the Rift S can play.

However, the same doesn't go the other way around – the Rift S cannot play games that were made specifically for Quest 2.

Still, a lot of VR games available for the Rift S are also available on the Quest 2, so it's likely that many of your favorite games are indeed available on both.

They're still bought from different stores, though. And the reason they're segregated is because the Quest 2 is running Android, while the Rift S is running Windows through your PC, which are completely different operating systems.

So games have to be made (or ported) to both separately, and thus their Quest 2 / Rift S versions are sold separately too. And may even differ slightly.

Which device has better controller tracking: the Oculus Rift S or the Oculus Quest 2?

I've spent a while using both the Rift S and Quest 2, and there's really no clear winner here – both headsets offer excellent controller and head tracking.

It's (arguably) worth noting that the Rift S has five tracking cameras, while the Quest 2 has four, so if we stretch to find theoretical winners here, the Rift S might have an edge, but again – in real life use – both headsets have no tracking problems.

The only realistic scenario where you may lose controller tracking is if your headset's cameras fail to see where that controller is (e.g. behind your back, or behind an object).

How does the battery life of the Oculus Quest 2 compare to the continuous use time of the Oculus Rift S?

Well, as long as you have power, your Rift S will never "run out of battery," because it has none; it's drawing power from your PC.

Meanwhile the Quest 2 does have a built-in battery, which usually lasts between 1.5 and 2 hours, depending on your use case. Obviously you can also use the Quest 2 while it's constantly plugged into an outlet, so like the Rift S, it will never run out of battery too in that scenario.

Can the Oculus Rift S and Oculus Quest 2 be used with glasses?

The Oculus Quest 2 comes with a little piece of plastic that you can optionally snap onto its face cover, adding extra distance between its lenses and your eyes, so you can comfortably wear your glasses. However, the Rift S does not.

Depending on how thick your glasses are, you may have trouble using the Rift S with glasses, although some users claim to be able to do so comfortably.

Again, the Quest 2 is the more suitable option for you if you need to wear glasses while using VR.

Which device is better for developers: the Oculus Rift S or Oculus Quest 2?

If you're a developer, in 2023 the Quest 2 is definitely the better device for you. It has a higher display resolution and vastly more use case options. You could be developing (Android) apps and games for it standalone, or you could be developing (Windows) PCVR apps and games. Either way – the Quest 2 will suit your needs.

To be fair, if you're only developing PCVR apps and games, PCVR isn't exactly the Quest 2's main thing. If that's the case, you may be better off with a dedicated PCVR headset like the Rift S, even despite its lower specs.

Or better yet, check out our best VR headsets list to find something newer and higher-specced.

Which should you buy – Rift S or Quest 2?

I know what you're thinking – after all this, it's pretty aggressively obvious that the Quest 2 is the better buy right now, and nobody should choose to buy a Rift S over it. But I actually do have a few pro-Rift S arguments lined up, so keep reading. Let's start with the Quest 2.

You should buy the Quest 2 if you want an affordable, fully standalone, wire-free and easy-to-use VR headset. You don't need to own a powerful PC, as the Quest 2 has everything built-in. It also has the better display, better speakers, and vastly more features, naturally.

The only real argument against buying a Quest 2 right now would be – you may want to wait for the upcoming Quest 3 instead. Check out our Quest 2 vs Quest 3 comparison to learn more about how those two will differ.

But still, while the Quest 2 is starting to age, at nearly 3 years on the market, it remains arguably not just the best VR headset to buy of these two, but the best VR headset to buy right now, period. Again, at least until the Quest 3 comes out.

You should buy the Rift S if you only want to play PC VR games, and you have a reasonably powerful PC that can handle that. If you want to spend less money - just buy a Rift S second-hand; you may have a harder and harder time finding it new anyway.

And while the Quest 2's AirLink feature for playing PC VR games is neat, it does require a fast connection, and in my experience, takes a performance hit even if it is. Meanwhile the Rift S, being fully tethered to your gaming PC with both a USB cable and DisplayPort, does offer the better performance with the least latency when playing virtual reality games on PC. Obviously, right? That's what it's meant for.

So in conclusion, while the Quest 2 is by far the better VR headset in almost every way and for almost every type of user, there may still be a small niche of gamers who could actually make better due with the Rift S.

I personally play almost exclusively PC VR games, so the Rift S, despite its poorer speakers and screen, is totally livable for me.

Speaking of PC VR games, another major reason you'd want the Rift S over the Quest 2 is because the latter can't play flagship PC VR titles like Skyrim VR or Half-Life: Alyx. The Quest 2 is just not powerful enough to run those standalone, plus its operating system is Android, and those are Windows games. So you'll either need to tether it to a powerful PC to play such PC VR games, or – go with the Rift S which does that by default.