Here's why you Should buy Oculus Quest 2 this Cyber Monday

Here's why you Should buy Oculus Quest 2 this Cyber Monday

With the exception of cheap theater tickets, I bought nothing on Cyber Monday. However, if I hadn't already given in a few months ago, the Oculus Quest 2 would definitely be on my shopping list. Especially since Amazon.com is currently giving away a $50 credit for every sale.

Having used the Oculus Quest 2 a lot over the past few months, I can say that it should be on my Cyber Monday shopping list. Of course, it's not hard to find glowing reviews of the Oculus Quest 2, but my experience has been nothing short of amazing.

I'm no VR novice, having used the original Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR. But while they were all impressive in their own way, they were cumbersome to set up and required constant camera adjustments, which always put me off when I wanted a quick experience; none of them offered the immediacy or immersion that I believe VR needs to be successful.

The Oculus Quest 2, with its built-in camera and no wires, solves all of that. Put it on, draw a safe area in any room, and you're ready to go.

Another game changer is the ability to play recently added PC games wirelessly. I was skeptical that it would work well in my house, but playing "Half Life Alyx" (also 50% off on Cyber Monday) downstairs from my gaming PC has no apparent performance issues; Alyx has been sitting unloved in Steam's library for over a year. It was left unloved in Steam's library for over a year because it was too much trouble to move the PC into a room where it could move around without risk of injury.

That's not to say that the experience created specifically for Oculus Quest isn't top-notch. While the $50 gift card with hardware purchase is nice, the Oculus digital store is also having a sale, and I can heartily recommend some of the games that have been marked down.

After bleeding people dry with Richie's Plank Experience (unfortunately not reduced in price), SuperHot VR is my go-to game to show how great this medium is, down to $18.99. Once you've had a chance to look through it, a "hide-and-seek" with the dinosaurs in the zombie-filled Arizona Sunshine (down to $23.99) or Jurassic World Aftermath (down to $17.99) will surely get your heart pumping. For something a little more soothing, the trance-inducing "Tetris Effect": Connected is also worth playing for the current price of $17.99.

For full immersion, "In Death Unchained" (currently $19.49) is Souls-like and wonderful.

Unfortunately, both "Beat Saber" and "The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners," two of the best VR games around, have not been reduced in price at this time. But there's still plenty to get hooked on, more than enough to convert you.

Of course, many people may not want to try Oculus Quest 2 because it requires a Facebook account. Of course, you won't be able to get it in time for Cyber Monday, but there's no harm in getting it now and waiting. Of course, it won't be available in time for Cyber Monday, but it wouldn't hurt to get it now and wait around.

The Oculus Quest 2 has been great for me, turning VR from something that was technically great but too cumbersome to get into, to something that is good for a quickie when you feel like it. If I didn't already have it, I would have put it in my virtual basket this Cyber Monday.

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