Bougth the Quest Pro, Couldn't be happier (Little Review)

[LuftManu]

Hello guys!

I finally took the plunge to dive into the VR world... or that's was what I said 2-3 years ago. 

I haven't had a good time with VR because of a low spec rig and some issues that I couldn't overcome: Small sweetspot, heavy weights, low confort.

I had fun with Reverb G2, Oculus Rift S, Quest 2 and such, but I always felt that I could use some more resolution and avoid some of the tibdits of VR. 
I thougth that maybe VR wasn't for me (And that's also a valid option).

But I was told by a friend to try the Quest Pro. After some small search, I was suprised to see bad reviews on launch by several techtubers and other people.  My friend has also Varjo Aero and the Pro trades blows winning in ergonocs, easy of use and many other things, sans resolution.

Afer checking I have 30 days of free return policy I ordered them...

 

...And voilia! Finally a VR headset that makes everything I hated about VR right.

 

The ergonomics are lovely for me (no extra required). Ready to go un 15 mins with Cable. Performance and function are great, but specially the screens are awesome. The whole screen is the sweetspot. My eyes naturally look at the gauges or over the shoulder withouth the need to turn my whole head. Night missions are tons of fun and no more gray nights.

I am creating this thread because I couldn't find enough info on this headset on Il-2. I think the community isn't fair with it after what I read.

It has huge thumbs up from me and the only VR set I am gonna tolerate.

 

The headset is cuirrently under a discount and 1200€ here in Spain. Quest 3 is also coming, probably with the same Screen but lesser fov and no local dimming, but better AR.

 

(My friend's video, will probably do a better review after a month).

Kinds regards!

 

My Rig now: RTX 4080 / 13900K / 64GB of Ram.

[Dagwoodyt]

Thanks. Questions:

If on wired link (Meta $80 cable or other) how long can you use the Pro without having to place it back on the charger?

Can firmware be updated via the PC app or does it require Meta apps on both PC and cell phone?

Are your lenses subject to amber/brown haze at their periphery?

Is local dimming working in PCVR?

[ST_Catchov]

All up, that's a lotta rubles Luft. May as well purchase FC now. I understand that's where VR really shines. ?

 

 

[LuftManu]

13 hours ago, Dagwoodyt said:

Thanks. Questions:

If on wired link (Meta $80 cable or other) how long can you use the Pro without having to place it back on the charger?

Can firmware be updated via the PC app or does it require Meta apps on both PC and cell phone?

Are your lenses subject to amber/brown haze at their periphery?

Is local dimming working in PCVR?

 

I bought an Amazon cable that both connects it to the PC and charges it for around 40€

 

It should be standalone for update. You need to install the APP on the cell phone tho.

Lenses are free of haze. None of it. Completly crystal clear 

 

Yes. I played some night missions and that Ghost hunting game via Steam VR, it was working too.

 

My friend already published it's review. Rather tan resolution, Quest Pro is better than Varjo aero 

 

Kind regards,

[Dagwoodyt]

I've recently seen a number of YT videos for the QP that seem to ignore the fact that it is a FB device, requiring app installation on pc AND cellphone. I would advise anyone who becomes intrigued to employ due diligence by surfing the web to gain a broader context and to spend time looking thru posts to the Meta QP forum. ?

Edited June 13, 2023 by Dagwoodyt

[LuftManu]

Some showcase of the Local Dimming in a night flight on DCS
 

 

 

20 hours ago, Dagwoodyt said:

I've recently seen a number of YT videos for the QP that seem to ignore the fact that it is a FB device, requiring app installation on pc AND cellphone. I would advise anyone who becomes intrigued to employ due diligence by surfing the web to gain a broader context and to spend time looking thru posts to the Meta QP forum. ?

I am not sure if you need to have a FB account or something like that anymore. Anyways, it's a choice and also I encourge people to learn before buying everything

[Dagwoodyt]

A Meta account is required. AFAIK firmware updates require the cellphone app whether you use the pc app or not(?).

[Dagwoodyt]

I run these settings in BoX with an Index and they give fluid motion in 8v8 QM's on a 3090Ti with monitor off. Tracking is fine day or night without any room lights. Many of the YT vids on the QP involve 40 series gpu's. I wonder how that will translate to older gen gpu's using the QP over USB-C wired link. Sweetspot on Index doesn't seem an issue for WWII cockpit instruments in BoX and certainly not in DCS as head positioning can be readily fine tuned on-the-fly in DCS.

 

Edited June 15, 2023 by Dagwoodyt

[kestrel79]

Seems like a nice headset! I think what turns people off is the Meta accounts and Meta stuff. But the tech and device is actually probably really good. I'm still rocking my Rift S, excited to see how much more settings I can crank up than me current PC (in sig).

[Dagwoodyt]

On basis of a DCS Forum thread I actually bought a QP, but came to the realization that I wouldn't be able to use it without giving Meta access to my mobile device. Since I hadn't opened the package I returned it for refund.

[LuftManu]

22 hours ago, Dagwoodyt said:

On basis of a DCS Forum thread I actually bought a QP, but came to the realization that I wouldn't be able to use it without giving Meta access to my mobile device. Since I hadn't opened the package I returned it for refund.

Yeah it's a shame it is like this to be honest. I had no issues but I understand some people don't want to mess with Phone apps. 

[dburne]

21 minutes ago, LuftManu said:

Yeah it's a shame it is like this to be honest. I had no issues but I understand some people don't want to mess with Phone apps. 

 

When Oculus discontinued the Rift line and then made a FB account mandatory for a Quest  I retired all my Oculus gear and uninstalled all of the software including any games.  Never again.

Edited June 17, 2023 by dburne

[TCW_DirtyMike0330]

I find it funny that folks are absolutely fine with your phones constantly listening to you, your Alexa and Google Homes harvesting your data, your GPS collecting your driving habits, your Amazon account collecting your shopping habits, etc etc... but we draw the line at having to make a Meta Account which, by the way, you absolutely do not need to link to a Facebook account. 

 

Good job OP, I also have the QP and posted about it on the DCS forums, it is a fantastic upgrade to the G2 and with a beefy enough PC, you can run high+ settings with 90fps on all multiplayer servers, as I frequently do (WoL, Combat Box mostly). 

Edited June 19, 2023 by TCW_DirtyMike0330

[chiliwili69]

Very nice videos and well explained everything!

I was also surprised that you prefered the QP over the Aero. I have none of them, but now I am intrigued about the QP.

I am a big Meta hater, basically because Facebook totally broke the initial soul of Oculus, all founders are gone, discontinued Rift series, forced Facebook account (I also quit from OCulus, losing all my games when I was forced). Now, at least you are not forced to have a Facebook account.

 

I am still using my Index (for 4 years!!!), discarding along the way G1, G2, VivePro, Vivepro2, and even Pico4. I love the FOV of the Index.

 

It would be interesting if you could try the Pico4 and compare with QP.

 

Perhaps I would try the QP, just to see if they are better overall than Index. I only play IL-2 (at 80fps always with no Reproj), no DCS.

[Dagwoodyt]

3 hours ago, chiliwili69 said:

Very nice videos and well explained everything!

I was also surprised that you prefered the QP over the Aero. I have none of them, but now I am intrigued about the QP.

I am a big Meta hater, basically because Facebook totally broke the initial soul of Oculus, all founders are gone, discontinued Rift series, forced Facebook account (I also quit from OCulus, losing all my games when I was forced). Now, at least you are not forced to have a Facebook account.

 

I am still using my Index (for 4 years!!!), discarding along the way G1, G2, VivePro, Vivepro2, and even Pico4. I love the FOV of the Index.

 

It would be interesting if you could try the Pico4 and compare with QP.

 

Perhaps I would try the QP, just to see if they are better overall than Index. I only play IL-2 (at 80fps always with no Reproj), no DCS.

I hope you will soon "bite the bullet" and report back. I find it difficult to believe that BoX gameplay on the QP will be as reliable as what is available now with the Index. Seems the QP is a standalone device with some limited wired connectivity. How long the wired functionality will be actively supported is an unknown. My fear is that random, unrequested firmware updates may repeatedly upset wired functionality resulting in more time expended finding solutions to problems than running BoX and DCS.

[Oboe]

How does the weight of the Quest Pro compare to the Quest 2?  Similar?    I had a Quest 2 and tried 3 different head straps to help distribute its weight, but never really found a comfortable solution.  After an hour or so, the weight of the unit stated bothering my neck/shoulders.   I'm using a Reverb G2 now, and its lightness compared to the Quest 2 is a relief.

 

Good to hear about your experiences with the QPro though, thank you!

 

 

[dburne]

1 hour ago, Dagwoodyt said:

I hope you will soon "bite the bullet" and report back. I find it difficult to believe that BoX gameplay on the QP will be as reliable as what is available now with the Index. Seems the QP is a standalone device with some limited wired connectivity. How long the wired functionality will be actively supported is an unknown. My fear is that random, unrequested firmware updates may repeatedly upset wired functionality resulting in more time expended finding solutions to problems than running BoX and DCS.

 

Yeah one thing for sure - Meta's main focus is not on PC-VR but stand alone. Having said that though who knows how long they will continue to support it, perhaps a long time. But using it as PC-VR with flight and racing sims is not what they had in mind for it.

[Dagwoodyt]

52 minutes ago, dburne said:

 

Yeah one thing for sure - Meta's main focus is not on PC-VR but stand alone. Having said that though who knows how long they will continue to support it, perhaps a long time. But using it as PC-VR with flight and racing sims is not what they had in mind for it.

The idea that the QP might unexpectedly become an expensive "brick" relative to my use cases is a concern. Just imagine that Blitz VR were finally released and my only HMD a QP. What are the chances...?

[chiliwili69]

On 6/12/2023 at 11:06 PM, LuftManu said:

The ergonomics are lovely for me (no extra required). Ready to go un 15 mins with Cable.

 

How it is the comfort for more than 2 hours?

Some people need things like a top strap or other third party things:

https://www.studioformcreative.com/product-page/quest-pro-deluxe-comfort-strap-1

 

What cable do you use,  Oculus optic fiber or copper?

 

 

[chiliwili69]

On 6/23/2023 at 3:17 PM, Dagwoodyt said:

I hope you will soon "bite the bullet" and report back.

 

Well I did it. Maybe a not very clever thing taking into account that Quest3 and perhaps Deckard will be released this year.

 

The QP should arrive next thursday. I will have then 30 days to decide if it will replace my current Index or not. (just IL-2).

Beyond reading pages and videos, the only way to know if a device is better than another is just trying it.

[Dagwoodyt]

4 hours ago, chiliwili69 said:

 

Well I did it. Maybe a not very clever thing taking into account that Quest3 and perhaps Deckard will be released this year.

 

The QP should arrive next thursday. I will have then 30 days to decide if it will replace my current Index or not. (just IL-2).

Beyond reading pages and videos, the only way to know if a device is better than another is just trying it.

Great! Did you order the official link cable? That aftermarket headstrap looks like it might partially cover the speaker grills.

[chiliwili69]

6 hours ago, Dagwoodyt said:

Did you order the official link cable?

no, I have a good third party cable I bought for the Quest 1.  I don´t know if the optical cable is really a must or not.

I understand that the qualcom decoder chip limit is 150Mbps, so any cooper cable can achieve that well.

[chiliwili69]

Yesterday arrived the QuestPro. Two days earlier. It is shipped from Netherlands. 

I also bought the Meta Full Light Blocker in order to have a full VR experience. (If I see the floor of my room I am not "there").

 

I have not tried it yet with the PC (I have to learn how to do all the Meta things: cable/wireless? Virtual Desktop? OpenXR toolkit? since with the Index all I need is SteamVR)

 

So my initial quick impressions in Standalone mode (International Space Station demo):

 

SETUP: Easy as expected for Standalone. I have to create a Meta account and also install Meta App in my mobile to complete the setup. The Mobile app didn´t found the QuestPro, so I tried with an Ipad and then it worked and completed setup. Why the hell it is needed this Meta app hassle???

 

PANCAKE LENSES: They are really good. I would say like the Pico4. The eye-box is large. And the edge-to-edge clarity is covering about 90% of the lens. Good job here.

 

TRACKING: No complaints. It follows all my head moves and hands quite well.

 

FOV: Despite you have a wheel to regulate the distance of the lenses to your eyes, even when I put it as closer as possible to my eyes the FOV seems to be a bit inferior to the Pico4 and Index. For most of app and games it could be quite ok but I still need to test it with IL-2 and the six check thing.

 

CONFORT: Here is where I quickly tought I will return them.   But let´s give them an opportunity. Perhaps it´s becasue all my previous devices has a full facial interface coupled with my face, and this QuestPro (similar to the horrible PSVR2!) is only resting on the upper side of my face. The Full Light Blocker is just very soft rubber and it doesn´t apply any pressure in my face. So, all the weight is resting in the upper side, so after just 20 minutes it is not so pleasant. Also, the material of the interface is just also rubber, so no breathing. This can be improved with third party pads. I also noticed dry-eyes with the light blocker, there is very soft air stream (to prevent fogging?).

 

This weekend I will try to run it with IL-2 and longer periods. And to do a A-B-A-B comparison, (or A-A-A-A-B).

 

Any advice to run the QuestPro with IL-2 is welcome.

My Rig:

ASUS PRIME X670-P

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5 6000MHz 32GB 2x16GB CL32

Gigabyte Nvidia RTX 3080

[Dagwoodyt]

On forums issues mentioned include amber/brown glow at lense periphery that might or might not be correctable via local dimming. Hope you will be able to check for this on night/dusk flights. An audio "hiss" has also been mentioned so comments on QP audio would also be appreciated. Looking forward to upcoming reports. Thanks!

[102nd-YU-cmirko]

@chiliwili69 I understand that Virtual Desktop is better than any other wireless vr streaming solution at the market - I haven't tried any meta devices so far, but for pico4 it's a must since original software is just not using the XR2 chip to the max (godlike encoding resolution is not available in pico streaming assistant yet)

 https://www.amvrshop.com/products/amvr-soft-pu-leather-face-cover-for-quest-2

 

will this fit to QP ?

 

[chiliwili69]

I have been playing IL-2 with the Quest Pro for 2+2 hours using both USB cable link and Airlink, using the Oculus software in the PC. I didn´t need Virtual Desktop

The quality of the image is very very good both with USB Link and also Airlink. The Quest Pro can run at three freq: 72Hz, 80Hz and 90Hz. That´s a good thing for IL-2.

Using PD=1 in Oculus, the resolution values given by SteamVR at 100% were 2160x2224 and at 150%  were 2644x2724.

 

 

 

I played at SteamVR SS=150%, so this was 14.4 million pixels at 72Hz. With 72 Hz the compressed image has more room for quality for the same bitrate.

My CPU (7800X3D) and GPU (3080) was keeping those 72fps always in my usual test area (Stalingrad or Kuban novorosyk harbour with 2x4 vs 2x4 QMB). So, performance wise is quite OK. My usual setting are:

 

 

After playing today and yesterday with the QP, I just tried Index for 30 minutes.

And I think I already a pretty good idea about what I will most likely do. Return the Quest Pro.

 

The main reasons (with % weight factor) are:

 

CONFORT (40%): I really can not hold that in my head for more than 30 minutes. Too much pressure on my front face, where all is resting. It is not a question of more or less pressure on the rear wheel, it is just a small resting area and bad rubber design. There is perhaps a dozen of mods that could aliviate that issue, but honestly I don´t wnat to go through all of them for a 1200€ device. I really can not understand how this device was thought for productivity. If this was the only issue, maybe I could invest time to solve it, but there are other factors as well. Also, the Light Blocker is a must for me for VR, I am always putting it and taking it off.

 

FOV (40%):  It is smaller horizontally and vertically from Index. Both, Index and QP have a regulation system to adjust the eye-lens distance. Adjusting both to have the eye as close as possible to the lens, the FOV difference is substantial. I don´t want to lose that. I would say the FOV is similar to G2, and lower than Pico4.

 

AUDIO (10%): The default audio is not acceptable for this kind of games. So, if would keep I will need to go for heaphones or QP earbuds.

 

COMPLEXITY (10%): You need to do a number of things to make it work. Launch Oculus PC software, then use QP controller to activate Link in menu, then go to launch SteamVR then launch IL-2. Perhaps things can be automated but it is a hassle.

 

 

OK, these are the bad things, but there are two things that really impressed me from the QP:

 

1. The visual clarity. You can detect that instantly in the map of mission setup. The image clarity in the center and edges is really god. It is better than Pico4 and G2 from what I could remember. And much much better than Index. Here the quality of the lenses is the key item, rather than panel resolution. The G2 with a higher resolution (2160x2160) and display port using SteamVR at 100% and 19.5 million pixels was giving a worse image than the QP that has a compressed image and just 14.4 million pixels. How this can be??

 

2. The performance of the Oculus Link. I could n´t imagine that a compressed image (either USB or Wifi) was going to be as good as it is at those resolutions and frequencies. I was always a defender of the Display Port thing. But this Link really changed my opinion. The Airlink works pretty well in general with my home 5G router (were many other devices are there as well) but there is some small lags from time to time. (Something maybe solvable with a dedicated router). But zero gosthing and blurred images. Amazing. . With the USB cable there were not such lags. But playing without a cable is also a nice thing.

 

So, being me a big hater of Meta, I have to admit that they made an excellent device and software in terms of visual quality and performance of the link.

If the Quest3 uses a pancake lens as good as the QP, I think that will definetely will try as well. (perhaps FOV and confort is improved in the Quest3)

 

What the QP really ruined me is that now I will continue using my Index but really missing that image quality of the QP. How I have been playing with the Index during 4 years with that low image quality! In any case, the Quest3 or the Deckard will be there soon.

Edited July 1, 2023 by chiliwili69

[FTC_ChilliBalls]

39 minutes ago, chiliwili69 said:

I have been playing IL-2 with the Quest Pro for 2+2 hours using both USB cable link and Airlink, using the Oculus software in the PC. I didn´t need Virtual Desktop

The quality of the image is very very good both with USB Link and also Airlink. The Quest Pro can run at three freq: 72Hz, 80Hz and 90Hz. That´s a good thing for IL-2.

Using PD=1 in Oculus, the resolution values given by SteamVR at 100% were 2160x2224 and at 150%  were 2644x2724.

 

 

 

I played at SteamVR SS=150%, so this was 14.4 million pixels at 72Hz. With 72 Hz the compressed image has more room for quality for the same bitrate.

My CPU (7800X3D) and GPU (3080) was keeping those 72fps always in my usual test area (Stalingrad or Kuban novorosyk harbour with 2x4 vs 2x4 QMB). So, performance wise is quite OK. My usual setting are:

 

 

After playing today and yesterday with the QP, I just tried Index for 30 minutes.

And I think I already a pretty good idea about what I will most likely do. Return the Quest Pro.

 

The main reasons (with % weight factor) are:

 

CONFORT (40%): I really can not hold that in my head for more than 30 minutes. Too much pressure on my front face, where all is resting. It is not a question of more or less pressure on the rear wheel, it is just a small resting area and bad rubber design. There is perhaps a dozen of mods that could aliviate that issue, but honestly I don´t wnat to go through all of them for a 1200€ device. I really can not understand how this device was thought for productivity. If this was the only issue, maybe I could invest time to solve it, but there are other factors as well. Also, the Light Blocker is a must for me for VR, I am always putting it and taking it off.

 

FOV (40%):  It is smaller horizontally and vertically from Index. Both, Index and QP have a regulation system to adjust the eye-lens distance. Adjusting both to have the eye as close as possible to the lens, the FOV difference is substantial. I don´t want to lose that. I would say the FOV is similar to G2, and lower than Pico4.

 

AUDIO (10%): The default audio is not acceptable for this kind of games. So, if would keep I will need to go for heaphones or QP earbuds.

 

COMPLEXITY (10%): You need to do a number of things to make it work. Launch Oculus PC software, then use QP controller to activate Link in menu, then go to launch SteamVR then launch IL-2. Perhaps things can be automated but it is a hassle.

 

 

OK, these are the bad things, but there are two things that really impressed me from the QP:

 

1. The visual clarity. You can detect that instantly in the map of mission setup. The image clarity in the center and edges is really god. It is better than Pico4 and G2 from what I could remember. And much much better than Index. Here the quality of the lenses is the key item, rather than panel resolution. The G2 with a higher resolution (2160x2160) and display port using SteamVR at 100% and 19.5 million pixels was giving a worse image than the QP that has a compressed image and just 14.4 million pixels. How this can be??

 

2. The performance of the Oculus Link. I could n´t imagine that a compressed image (either USB or Wifi) was going to be as good as it is at those resolutions and frequencies. I was always a defender of the Display Port thing. But this Link really changed my opinion. The Airlink works pretty well in general with my home 5G router (were many other devices are there as well) but there is some small lags from time to time. (Something maybe solvable with a dedicated router). But zero gosthing and blurred images. Amazing. . With the USB cable there were such lags. But playing without a cable is also a nice thing.

 

So, being me a big hater of Meta, I have to admit that they made an excellent device and software in terms of visual quality and performance of the link.

If the Quest3 uses a pancake lens as good as the QP, I think that will definetely will try as well. (perhaps FOV and confort is improved in the Quest3)

 

What the QP really ruined me is that now I will continue using my Index but really missing that image quality of the QP. How I have been playing with the Index during 4 years with that low image quality! In any case, the Quest3 or the Deckard will be there soon.

So just wondering, since you also used the Pico 4, how does the QP compare to it?

[chiliwili69]

4 hours ago, FTC_ChilliBalls said:

So just wondering, since you also used the Pico 4, how does the QP compare to it?

 

If you have the Pico4, perhaps there is not point to go to the QP. You will gain image clarity but losing confort and FOV (and money).

 

For G2 owners is a different story since they will gain image clarity not only in the center but accross all the lens area. And much larger eye-box.

 

Perhaps the most clever thing is to wait for the Q3 or Deckard.

On 6/28/2023 at 3:15 PM, Dagwoodyt said:

amber/brown glow at lense periphery

And yes, this is noticeable. in the upper sides areas. Didn´t investigate further.

Also some color banding  in the sea or sky, perhaps as a result of compression.

[LuftManu]

On 6/24/2023 at 10:42 AM, chiliwili69 said:

 

How it is the comfort for more than 2 hours?

Some people need things like a top strap or other third party things:

https://www.studioformcreative.com/product-page/quest-pro-deluxe-comfort-strap-1

 

What cable do you use,  Oculus optic fiber or copper?

 

 

Hello Chiliwili69,

I had no issues from my use. I know others do. In my case this is the first comfortable headset.
Also no need to tighten it a lot!

 

[dburne]

16 minutes ago, LuftManu said:

Hello Chiliwili69,

I had no issues from my use. I know others do. In my case this is the first comfortable headset.
Also no need to tighten it a lot!

 

 

The fit for a VR headset is very much dependent on the individual's head shape, as we know they all can be very different from each other.

Only way to judge the fit is by trying it.  I would take fit out of the equation on any review.

 

For example, I have had several different headsets and still have most of them - personally I found the worse fit to be in my Index. For me it was extremely uncomfortable.  I run my Aero with the StudioForm comfort strap and it is probably the most comfortable I have had so far.

Edited July 1, 2023 by dburne

[LuftManu]

2 hours ago, dburne said:

 

The fit for a VR headset is very much dependent on the individual's head shape, as we know they all can be very different from each other.

Only way to judge the fit is by trying it.  I would take fit out of the equation on any review.

 

For example, I have had several different headsets and still have most of them - personally I found the worse fit to be in my Index. For me it was extremely uncomfortable.  I run my Aero with the StudioForm comfort strap and it is probably the most comfortable I have had so far.

Totally agree, that's why I think it's just a personal taste and head shape!

 

 

?

[Dagwoodyt]

So the QP is the first HMD that does not have a "weak link"?

 

[FTC_ChilliBalls]

9 hours ago, chiliwili69 said:

 

If you have the Pico4, perhaps there is not point to go to the QP. You will gain image clarity but losing confort and FOV (and money).

I still only have a Rift S and am considering whether I should just get the Pico 4 or wait for the Quest 3. Given that the resolution of the Quest 3 is actually lower, I‘m curious whether the allegedly better lenses, the better Chip and the more established Eco system are worth the 200€ increase in price tag.

 

I guess it‘ll depend on whether Virtual Desktop is able to use that higher power for better decoding.

Edited July 2, 2023 by FTC_ChilliBalls

[dburne]

12 hours ago, FTC_ChilliBalls said:

I still only have a Rift S and am considering whether I should just get the Pico 4 or wait for the Quest 3. Given that the resolution of the Quest 3 is actually lower, I‘m curious whether the allegedly better lenses, the better Chip and the more established Eco system are worth the 200€ increase in price tag.

 

I guess it‘ll depend on whether Virtual Desktop is able to use that higher power for better decoding.

 

Not a fan of Meta, but yeah probably between the two I would go for the Q3 unless you want something sooner.

[chiliwili69]

19 hours ago, FTC_ChilliBalls said:

I guess it‘ll depend on whether Virtual Desktop is able to use that higher power for better decoding.

 

I think you will not need to run Virtual Desktop for the Q3. I didn´t need it for the QP. The Oculus Link works pretty well, either cable or wifi.

[FTC_ChilliBalls]

8 hours ago, dburne said:

 

Not a fan of Meta, but yeah probably between the two I would go for the Q3 unless you want something sooner.

What if I wanted the Q3 for the price of the Pico and also instantly?

 ?

1 hour ago, chiliwili69 said:

 

I think you will not need to run Virtual Desktop for the Q3. I didn´t need it for the QP. The Oculus Link works pretty well, either cable or wifi.

It‘s less a question of necessity but rather one of capabilities.

 

VD recently updated to HVENC 10-bit. No idea whether  Airlink does so as well, but it apparently significantly increases visual fidelity.

Edited July 2, 2023 by FTC_ChilliBalls

[Dagwoodyt]

Saw a post on the Meta forum wherein a Quest 2 owner stated they could not complete setup dialog without having or creating a "business" account. Response from Meta rep was that said dialog should only appear in "enterprise" class headsets. That would seem to include the Quest Pro. So is a Meta or Facebook "business" account required to complete setup for the Pro?

[Aapje]

On 7/2/2023 at 2:09 AM, FTC_ChilliBalls said:

I still only have a Rift S and am considering whether I should just get the Pico 4 or wait for the Quest 3. Given that the resolution of the Quest 3 is actually lower, I‘m curious whether the allegedly better lenses, the better Chip and the more established Eco system are worth the 200€ increase in price tag.

 

I guess it‘ll depend on whether Virtual Desktop is able to use that higher power for better decoding.

The Quest 3 is almost certainly going to support AV1-decoding, which might make the price increase worth it already, as AV1 seems to be way better than the current options. I fully expect Virtual Desktop to support AV1. Of course, you will need a video card that can encode AV1, which means a pretty recent GPU.

 

The resolution of the Quest 3 and Pico 4 are very close. It's very easily possible for the quality to be better on the Quest 3 due to better lenses, better distortion correction, better encoding, etc.

 

If you are also going to use your headset standalone, then I would definitely wait for the Quest 3.

 

PS. I've heard September 27th as the most likely release date for the Quest 3.

[FTC_ChilliBalls]

7 hours ago, Aapje said:

The Quest 3 is almost certainly going to support AV1-decoding, which might make the price increase worth it already, as AV1 seems to be way better than the current options. I fully expect Virtual Desktop to support AV1. Of course, you will need a video card that can encode AV1, which means a pretty recent GPU.

 

The resolution of the Quest 3 and Pico 4 are very close. It's very easily possible for the quality to be better on the Quest 3 due to better lenses, better distortion correction, better encoding, etc.

 

If you are also going to use your headset standalone, then I would definitely wait for the Quest 3.

 

PS. I've heard September 27th as the most likely release date for the Quest 3.

In addition to the necessary hardware, AV1 may also be unsuited for streaming due to the increased latency it has when compared to H.265 and H.264

[Aapje]

18 hours ago, FTC_ChilliBalls said:

In addition to the necessary hardware, AV1 may also be unsuited for streaming due to the increased latency it has when compared to H.265 and H.264

I found this site where they tested the encoding speeds: https://rigaya.github.io/vq_results/

 

If I compare encoders on the same hardware, like H264 'quality' vs AV1 '10 bit quality' on a 4080, then the AV1 gets substantially higher FPS. So latency should then be lower. And 'quality' AV1 should be substantially better visually than the 'quality' setting for H264.

 

In general, I seem to get the highest FPS with AV1 compared to the same quality setting for H264 or HVEC. I have a hard time believing that 588 FPS for the 'normal' AV1 will cause issues and will be worse latency than the 498 and 485 FPS for the 'normal' H264 or HVEC encoders on the same hardware.

 

However, it is true that there are a lot of options to manually tweak these encoders rather than use the presets, so in theory it can be true that there is some optimal setting for another encoder that doesn't exist for AV1. But I doubt it.

 

PS. Keep in mind that a lot of people who discuss AV1 online are talking about CPU encoders. AV1 is quite slow on CPUs, but this is not relevant for hardware-based encoding and decoding.

Edited July 9, 2023 by Aapje