PROJECT PITCH

Committed to Education

My project topic is the new Oculus Quest Virtual Reality headset. I will examine how the Quest is able to operate without a wired connection to a computer or console, how it maps a player’s real life surroundings, and how it displays high quality graphics (and maybe audio). This topic is important because the Quest was the first high-power wireless VR headset to hit the market, and it dramatically reduced the total cost for a consumer to get into VR gaming. Consumers previously needed a high end gaming PC to power headsets, meaning they have spent close to $2000 before they could begin playing in VR. The Oculus Quest is totally standalone, so a consumer could play games in VR for only $399. This reduced cost has the potential to finally create large-scale public buy-in to VR headsets, and the lack of wires allows users the freedom to play in any space they choose. The Oculus displays graphics on two 72fps 1600×1440 OLED screens. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset CPU is cooled internally to allow for overclocking. Pixels are focused near the center of each eye display, and displayed at a much lower density on peripheries. The Quest maps out the limits of the current space (which may be different each time you play), and limits player movement within the game with a “Guardian System”. Current limits to the system include a suggested maximum play space of 25ft x 25ft and a continued lack of support for full-length, intricate triple A games. Work for the project update will begin one week before the Nov 4th deadline. Work for the project demo will begin one week before the Dec 2nd deadline. Work for the project report will begin two weeks before the Dec 4th deadline.