Oculus Quest is a more powerful stand-alone VR headset coming this spring | Computing

Oculus Quest is the latest addition to the world of stand-alone virtual reality headsets. The new product announcement comes from Oculus’ Connect 5 keynote and is the result of the previously named Santa Cruz project. Focusing on what Oculus notes as the future of all VR experiences, Quest provides a powerful stand-alone VR experience with hand tracking that features six degrees of freedom. Launching in spring 2019 for $400, Quest is set to occupy a space between the company’s current Go and Rift headsets offerings.

Positioned as a more powerful and capable version of the previously released Oculus Go headset, the Quest introduces additional degrees of freedom, spatial awareness, and more advanced controllers. Oculus notes that the headset is set to bridge the gap between mobile VR experiences and full-fledged desktop experiences with a promise to port many of the existing games and apps available for the Rift to the new Quest platform.

Onboard the Oculus Quest is a set of four new ultrawide sensors that allow the unit to track its surroundings from inside-out; meaning that the headset can be aware of its surroundings without the need for any sensors placed around the room. The new tracking system combined with specially designed touch controllers allows the user to explore VR without some of the limitations that were present on the Oculus Go.

Oculus says that the headset is not a replacement for the Oculus Go, but is instead part of the first generation family of VR devices. While the Go is positioned as the company’s most affordable headset and the Rift is set as the most powerful, the Quest is in a spot that attempts to offer the best of both worlds — a stand-alone experience with high-quality offerings.

The Oculus Quest is set to launch with 50 different titles available for users to jump into the world of VR. Many of the new titles might be aimed at providing experiences that were not possible on Oculus’ previous mobile offering. Fans of more intense VR games such as Beat Saber might finally be able to experience it on the powerful standalone Oculus Quest platform.

For more information on the Quest, be sure to stay tuned to Digital Trends as we go hands-on with the future of stand-alone VR at Oculus Connect 5.