Entertainment has come a long way and it has been developed into something so advanced. This comparison of the Oculus Quest 2 and Samsung HMD Odyssey Plus will dive into that.
See, at first, we were just enjoying our content with ordinary screens from our TVs and handheld devices. Now, we have something more technologically advanced and it is great.
Virtual Reality has been around for quite some time but it has not been appreciated enough. Now that we have better headsets, we can surely see where the industry is heading towards.
VR headsets are the new screens and they are far better than just sitting down and watching. It allows you to do various things and during these times, it is the best option for the users.
You no longer need to adjust your seat and stance to get a proper glance at what you are watching. The screens now follow your glance and give you the best view all of the time.
Oculus is one of the most popular brands that produce high-quality VR headsets in the industry. It is owned and operated by Facebook so you can be sure that they put the best people in it.
The new Quest 2 headset is an advanced way of playing your favorite games or watching the best shows. It is an upgrade of the original Quest and it has a lot more to offer for its users.
Samsung, as we all know, is a company that has been around for a very long time. They have produced smartphones that match or even go better than the best ones in the market.
Now, we have the Odyssey Plus to enjoy the same content with better quality. So here, we will see which VR headset is better by going through each headset’s features and performance.
Table of Contents
Know Your Type
When you are planning to buy a VR headset for the first time, you will need to consider a lot of things. The most important perhaps is the type of VR headset that you want to purchase.
See, there are two types of VR headsets available right now in the market. One is called the tethered headset which is a type of VR headset that is connected to a PC setup for power.
This is where you decide on which headset you really want that is actually compatible with your PC setup. See, you also need to meet the requirements of the headset itself for it to work.
The other type of VR headset is called standalone which is basically a wireless headset. It may not be completely wireless but it does not need to be connected to a PC setup like the other.
The Samsung HMD Odyssey Plus is a wireless headset that was one of the first headsets to be developed with its own Bluetooth receiver inside the head-mounted display to access the PC.
So see, the headset does not necessarily need to literally connect to a PC but it uses Bluetooth in order to connect to the setup. It still needs a PC so you have to get the requirements first.
The Oculus Quest 2, on the other hand, is a mix of both types of headsets. It does have an option of connecting to a PC setup or you can use it as it is without powering it through a PC.
The Odyssey Plus does not need a receiver on the PC for it to work. The built-in Bluetooth on the device does all the job and allows the headset to perform like it is connected to the PC.
The Quest 2 has its own processor and system inside so you can use it without a PC setup. The cord for the tethered option is also included in the product so there is no need for separate purchase.
Features
So once you get to decide which type of headset you want to buy, we move to the most important part of the review. The features will let you know what you can get with these headsets.
Type Of Screen On The Display
One thing that lets you know right away how good the display of the headset is is the screen or lens that it uses. This is where you will immediately know what kind of images you will see.
The Odyssey Plus used the same type of lenses from the original Odyssey headset. This headset uses AMOLED for the display which is a great type of lens for any kind of content.
It is able to put up vivid colors on the screen and with the high-density screen, you will surely get to see everything that you need to see on the game, video, or any content that you are watching.
Oculus used a simpler LCD screen for the Quest 2. However, they did not stop there as they put more features on the lenses in order to enhance the color and the type of display that you see.
Aside from the LCD on the main screen, you will also get RGB screens behind it and instead of relying on the pixels, Oculus made RGB stripes to back the coloring capabilities of the LCD.
This means that the screen is able to put up smoother, more detailed images. You will hardly have any screen door effect on this screen because of its layered screen display.
This makes the headset great in transitions meaning it can display smooth movements with the help of the layered RGB stripes. So for me, I would pick the Quest 2 when it comes to the screen.
Screen Resolution
Another factor to consider when looking at the display of a headset is the screen resolution. While the type of screen affects the details a lot, its resolution has a bigger impact.
The screen resolution is all about how detailed the images would be. It talks about the number of pixels that the headsets use in order to project the images on the lenses.
The Odyssey Plus has a screen resolution of 2880 by 1600 pixels. That is 1440 by 1600 pixels on each eye which is around the average screen resolution of the best VR headsets.
This is not the most impressive display or screen resolution but Samsung added a feature that will give the users the best experience. That is the Anti Screen Door Effect for the lenses.
Screen door effect is a type of faulty display that goes in between the pixels. It is those fine black lines in between the pixels of the screen as if you are looking at the images through a mesh.
The display of the Odyssey Plus no longer has that so you do not have to worry about getting dizzy after using the VR headset for hours as it provides a clear and crisp display all the time.
The Oculus Quest 2 is a more superior headset when it comes to screen resolution. It offers 1920 by 1832 pixels per eye which is very dense meaning it displays detailed images.
This means that you will be able to see and focus on things that are far from you. This type of screen resolution needs a lot of power but the Quest 2 does a really good job of keeping it smooth.
Refresh Rate
The refresh rate of VR headsets is all about the speed of the display. This allows you to have the smoothest of movements with as little lag as possible while performing the movements.
See, when you play or use a VR headset in general, you will be looking at images and videos which obviously move with your action. This is where the headset should try and keep up.
When you move, the point of view changes so the display should also glide along with your movement. The Odyssey Plus and Quest 2 headsets are able to do this at best.
The Quest 2 headset has a refresh rate of 72Hz. This means that the screen refreshes itself 72 times per second in order to keep up with your movement, this is a decent refresh rate.
While 72 refreshes per second are amazing, the Odyssey Plus has a better refresh rate. This VR headset can go as fast as 90Hz which is along the average refresh rate of headsets.
This means that both headsets can put up smooth displays. However, I would prefer the Odyssey Plus in this especially if you want to play games with high-speed transitions.
Oculus Quest 2 Hardware
The Odyssey Plus, although being a wireless headset, still needs to be connected to a PC. so aside from the built-in Bluetooth, there is not much hardware inside the head-mounted display.
The Oculus Quest 2, however, needs all the power it can get in order to perform well when it is not connected to a PC setup. That is why it has its own system and storage inside the headset.
The processor inside the Quest 2 is pretty impressive considering its price. It uses a Snapdragon XR2 processor which is the most powerful processor that you can get for its price.
This processor is not the best processor in the market but you get your money’s worth. It is also able to power the screen, resolution, and refresh rate all at the same time.
It does make a bit of a difference when the headset is connected to a PC setup but you will hardly see it. The storage is also upgraded to 128 GB and can be expanded to 256 GB.
Tracking And Controllers
The Odyssey Plus has two wireless controllers that did not change much compared to the original Odyssey headset. It still functions the same with the advanced controls.
You can run Windows Mixed Reality using the headset itself. Just walk around the room and the sensors will read the environment. Then, you can mix virtual reality with the real world.
With the Bluetooth option, you will be able to bring your laptop in a backpack and walk around outdoors for limitless Windows Mixed Reality and have fun while also physically moving.
The Quest 2 still needs mounted trackers so you will be limited by the range of the trackers. The mounted trackers will get your position and put it on the display of the headset.
The cameras on the head-mounted display will track the controllers while the third sensor inside the headset will track the orientation of the user to keep you in check with the display.
Comfort and Gaming
When you buy a VR headset, expect to get addicted to using it. You will be playing games for hours on end so you will need the best headset for both performance and comfort.
The Odyssey Plus headset is one of the most comfortable headsets in the market. It does not have an over-the-head strap but the halo strap is padded all over to keep your head relaxed.
It can be adjusted on the back for tightness while the side of the strap has the built-in headphones. The surround sound system of the headset will give you an immersive experience.
The Oculus Quest 2 has an over-the-head strap which is a great feature for you to prevent the headset from wobbling up and down. The halo strap is also a standard for the Quest 2.
The halo strap of this headset has extra paddings as well. Playing in these headsets is pretty easy as you can access games from different stores such as SteamVR and Android stores.
Conclusion
These two headsets are perhaps the most sought-after headsets in the market. They perform great and they give you a lot of options on how to use them.
==> Get the best deal on Samsung HMD Odyssey+
You can both go wireless with these headsets or go with a more powerful PC setup. They can put up crips images with radiant surroundings and detailed display with smooth transitions.
The price is also not that high as these headsets are very affordable. These are the best headsets that you can buy in their price range.
==> Get the best deal on Oculus Quest 2
So do not wait any longer, see if your PC setup has met the required specifications, and then get the best headset that fits your personal preferences!
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Also the other obvious advantage of the quest is it being wireless … But keep in mind to play PC games you will need to use either a link cable or some kind of program like virtual desktop or airlink, Many say the info has to be sent compressed because there is no video display port on the quest 2 which could be much more intensive to run for your computer