Why it issues: Meta has obtained criticism for designing its Quest 2 VR headset as a standalone machine. Easy VR presentation requires excessive picture high quality and framerates, and Meta’s resolution severely limits the quantity of horsepower accessible to the Quest 2 for each. Realizing this, the corporate is making an attempt to squeeze as a lot efficiency as attainable from the favored machine.
Meta has introduced it is releasing a patch to barely improve the Quest 2’s GPU frequency. The replace ought to give purposes just a little extra elbow room for picture high quality and framerate.
The replace, which is rolling out now, will let the headset improve its GPU frequency from 490 to 525 MHz. Meta estimates the upclock will give the Quest 2 an additional seven % GPU compute energy.
Builders will not have to replace their software program to benefit from the enhance. Meta’s machine will routinely decide if intensive apps, like video games with high-quality graphics, would profit from the overclock.
The patch can even seamlessly combine with dynamic foveation, a characteristic that conserves picture high quality for crucial pixels on the show. As an alternative of leaning on foveation to keep up picture high quality when assets get tight, the Quest 2 will now improve GPU clock frequency first.
Activating the overclock at the moment requires gamers to begin an app, take away the headset, then put it again on. Nevertheless, software program model 49 will let apps use the extra horsepower as quickly as they launch. Meta hasn’t stated when that replace will arrive, however new software program variations normally come month-to-month, so model 49 may launch in January.
The GPU enhance may look small, however the Quest 2 wants all of the horsepower it could possibly get. At $400, it is extra reasonably priced than opponents from HTC and Valve and does not require a PC, however the Quest 2’s standalone nature limits it to smartphone-like processing energy. The replace ought to assist customers who do not join the Quest 2 to a PC by means of Oculus Hyperlink.
Meta lately launched the Quest Professional for high-end and enterprise customers. It’s miles extra highly effective than the Quest 2 however prices $1,500. HTC is getting ready to unveil a competitor at CES 2023 in January. In the meantime, within the sub-$1,000 zone, Sony will launch PlayStation VR 2 on February 22, and leaks recommend Meta plans to launch the Quest 3 someday subsequent 12 months in the identical value tier.
