Sarah Tew / CNET
The Oculus Quest, the runaway VR headset that hasn't been available at any retailer since the holidays, is finally back in stock. This is great news for VR fans. The Quest received the Editors' Choice Award Here at CNET last year, and unlike most other devices, it's gotten significantly better with age. Oculus last year a Hand tracking update This allows developers to create games that don't require controllers Oculus Link Software and cables allow the Quest to be connected to a PC and play games written for the HTC Vive. That brings us to the newest cause of bottlenecks: Half-life: Alyx, a flagship VR title from Valve designed for expensive tethered headsets but can be easily played with the Oculus Link on a relatively inexpensive quest.
The headset was out of stock due to a combination of consumer demand and the impact of the headset Coronavirus Manufacture information and even sales bots that automate the purchase of limited inventory products like Quest and Nintendo Switch before average consumers can get to the site.
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Various retailers are finally back in stock. If you've been waiting for a 64GB or 128GB model, now is the time to place an order. But there are many caveats. Inventory is constantly changing and there is no guarantee that you will get the version with the storage capacity you want. Hence, you may have to choose between waiting for more bottlenecks or buying 128GB if you want the 64GB version (or vice versa). As a dedicated Quest owner, I'd say 64GB gets a bit tight quickly, so I would personally recommend the 128GB version. Even so, it's not difficult to uninstall apps to make room for others. it's just inconvenient.
If you are given a quest with plans to play Half-Life: Alyx, you may need a long USB-C cable, and these were hard to come by too. You can use the USB charging cable that came with your Quest, but it's only 3 meters, which is a bit short for VR gaming. The gold standard is that 5 meter long Oculus Link cable from Oculus, but at $ 79 it's a little expensive - and USB-C on both ends. I recently got the 16-foot Masiken Oculus Quest patch cord for about $ 30 that plugs into a USB-A port and works great.
Finally, remember that there are rumors afoot about a Next generation Oculus Quest Headset that could see the light of day later this year or sometime in 2021. For now, however, we only have rumors. So if you want to get into Beat Saber sooner rather than later, check out the latest availability below.
Read more at GameSpot: Half-life: Alyx rating
64 GB version ($ 399)
128 GB version ($ 499)
Not in stock
Note that this list may contain bundles, used / remanufactured models, and third-party suppliers that are listed as "in stock," but often much higher than the list price or with shipping dates far in the future.
This article is updated periodically to reflect product availability.
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