Getting Started With the Meta Quest 2: Your VR Questions Answered (2024)

If you search for low-cost VR headsets, plenty of results come in under $100. But most require the use of a phone slotted into the visor or use cheaper components that are more likely to cause motion sickness or eye discomfort.

If you can stretch your budget to $300, the Meta Quest 2 strikes a good balance between price and functionality. It supports more than 500 VR experiences, including many of the best VR games, and offers a Meta Quest+ subscription as a cheaper way to explore available titles. In our review, we rated it the best VR headset for newbies and experienced users alike. Still, there are some things you may not know, and we're here to answer your burning questions.

Mark Zuckerberg's vision of a metaverse future may have failed to materialize thus far, but there are some intriguing non-gaming uses for virtual reality. In my time with a Meta Quest 2 headset, apps centered around fitness, streaming video, and music stand out the most. There are 360-degree concerts that allow you to see the show from all angles, while fitness experiences like Supernatural track your hand movements and guide you through HIIT exercises.

Streaming apps like YouTube VR, Netflix, Pluto TV, and MLB VR let you watch videos in a virtual environment. For example, Netflix shows a big screen in front of a couch where you can watch a show or movie inside a cabin. MLB VR can also stream games in front of you while displaying stats, lineups, and other information in your peripheral view.

Can You Play Minecraft and Roblox on Meta Quest 2?

(Credit: Microsoft)

Minecraft and Roblox are playable on a Meta Quest 2, but neither are available in the Meta Store. Instead, you have to tweak a few settings to get them working; there are plenty of guides online to help you get started. The Meta Store, however, has a number of options across multiple genres. This includes casual games like Walkabout Mini Golf, Creed: Rise to Glory, Beat Saber, and Among Us VR, as well as more intense titles like Blade & Sorcery: Nomad, Battle Talent, and Bonelab.

(Credit: Meta)

The Meta Quest 2 is self-contained, so once it's connected to Wi-Fi, it doesn’t need to be connected to a phone or PC. It comes with a built-in software store, hand-tracking controllers, and passthrough cameras so you can see the room around you while you’re wearing the headset.

For smaller spaces, Meta offers Guardian, which lets you set up boundaries in VR that appear as you get close to the edge of a play area. Stationary Mode creates a default Guardian area of 3 feet by 3 feet, while Roomscale gives you some more play space, up to 6.5 feet by 6.5 feet.

To set it up or adjust Guardian settings, tap the logo on the right Touch or Touch Pro controller to pull up the universal menu.Hover over the clock on the left side of the universal menu. When Quick Settings appears, select it to open the Quick Settings panel. Select Guardian, pick Stationary or Roomscale, and follow the on-screen instructions.

Can You Connect Meta Quest 2 to a TV?

Watching someone flail around while wearing a VR headset can be funny, but for a glimpse of what they're seeing inside their Quest 2, cast the screen to a computer, smartphone, or Chromecast-enabled TV. Download the Meta Quest app to your phone and make sure the phone and headset are on the same Wi-Fi network. Then tap the Cast button inside the app and choose your TV. (Note: If you close the Meta Quest app, the casting will stop.)

(Credit: Kiwi Design)

The Meta Quest 2 comes with two Touch Controllers, a charging cable and adapter, and glasses spacer. After a few years with Oculus—and now Meta—VR headsets, there are two types of accessories I recommend people consider at the onset.

The first is a better head strap. The elastic one that comes with the device is okay but requires a lot of fiddling. I found ones like this KIWI Design Comfort Head Strap to be much more supportive. Additionally, its adjustable dial makes it much easier to let other people try it.

Secondly, you’ll probably want a dedicated charging setup or space. The headset’s battery life is sufficient but it will need to be charged regularly after use. I like the Anker Charging Dock, which can charge (and organize) the headset and two controllers. If the Anker one is too pricey, there are other headset holders available.

Do You Need a Facebook Account to Use Meta Quest 2?

You do not need a Facebook account to log in to your Meta headset, but you do need a Meta account. However, if you ever made an Oculus account in the past, the process becomes a bit more complicated. Originally, when the Oculus-branded headsets arrived, you only needed an Oculus account to set up the headset and start using it. But Oculus accounts will be disabled and deleted at the beginning of 2024, so if you have an old one you want to move to Meta, you should do it sooner rather than later.

Personally, I ran into an issue switching my Oculus account to a Meta account because I had merged my Facebook account at some point. If you run into this issue, or a similar one, I found the only way to resolve it was to chat with Facebook support and ask them to unlink my Oculus and Facebook accounts. That process took a couple of minutes and fixed my login troubles.

If your Meta Quest 2 is on the fritz, give it the factory reset treatment to see if that solves the problem. Note that this will delete account information, downloaded games, and content from the headset, but you can re-download purchased content once it's back up and running.

To do this from the app, tap Menu > Devices and select your headset. Tap Headset Settings > Advanced Settings > Factory Reset > Reset.

To do it from the headset, make sure it's charged to at least 50% and turn off your Quest 2. Hold the power and volume (-) buttons down simultaneously until the boot screen loads. Navigate to Factory Reset using the volume buttons and press the power button. Select Yes and press the power button again.

Should You Wait for the Meta Quest 3 Headset?

Meta pre-announced its new Meta Quest 3 headset, which is expected to arrive at the end of September 2023. Details are scant, but we know the Quest 3 will be 40% slimmer than the Quest 2, have color passthrough (instead of black and white), and be more powerful.

The Quest 3 will also debut at $499. If money is a concern or determining factor in purchasing a VR headset, Quest 2 should be the obvious choice. We don't know how long the Quest 2 will be supported, but it appears Meta is taking a page from Apple and keeping the existing device around at a lower cost to support an entry-level market. On the other hand, if the $200 price difference isn’t an issue, the Quest 3 will likely be an upgrade over the existing headset.

(Credit: Apple)

Apple finally made its long-rumored entry into the VR space this summer with the Vision Pro. It doesn't arrive until 2024, and we have yet to put it through its paces, but expect a technical powerhouse with cutting-edge hardware. And that premium Apple experience won't come cheap. The Vision Pro's $3,499 price point will likely deter most consumers, but that's by design, at least for now. As such, the Meta Quest 2 is only vaguely in the same general category as the Vision Pro, but it's certainly a cheaper alternative if you're only just starting to dabble in VR.