The announcement of the 128GB Oculus Quest 2 certainly got people talking, with many wanting to know what it will actually launch. The announcement, which is no way related to the recent product recall, is recognition that the 64GB model really wasn't adequate to meet the needs of VR gamers. This is especially true a developers continue to create larger games. Happily, Oculus have confirmed that the new storage capacity will not lead to a higher price than the 64GB model.
But with all this great news, when can players actually get their hands on one of these 128GB models? Here's what we know.
When will the new Oculus Quest 2 128GB model launch?
Facebook confirmed that the new 128GB model of the Oculus Quest 2 will be available from August 24th. So that's only a few days away. If you were thinking you fancied yourself a new VR headset, hold on just a little while longer.
It's worth pointing out that if you try to place an order on the Oculus website at the moment, you get taken to a "notify me" button. As things stand, Facebook have put a stop to all Oculus Quest 2 sales. This is while they attempt to address the issues that led to the product recall. In a statement on July 27th, Andrew Bosworth, Head of Facebook Reality Labs, stated:
we’ve been communicating with global regulators and are taking the extra step of temporarily pausing sales of Quest 2 globally while we work to include the new silicone covers in all Quest 2 packages. The new silicone cover fits over the Quest 2 removable foam facial interface and starting on August 24, all Quest 2 headsets will come with a silicone cover included in every box.
https://tech.fb.com/community-letter/
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What does this have to do with the product recall?
The decision to pause sales of the Quest 2 probably meant it was a good opportunity to launch the larger model. The 64GB model has been quietly removed from sale, and is no longer available on the Oculus website. Making that transition while sales were suspended, makes a lot of sense. It isn't likely that the recall was the catalyst for the larger storage option. But it's understandable that they timed this announcement to offset the negative publicity around the recall.
We'll never know for sure whether this was always the intended timeline. Or whether Facebook felt that this was simply an opportunity they couldn't afford to pass up. Either way, the result is that VR fans have an even more compelling proposition at the lowest price point. It will be interesting to see what impact this has on the bestselling VR headset on the market.
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