Articles by Nicholas Sutrich

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

What you need to know

VR game developers are seeing as high as a 10x increase in sales since the launch of the Oculus Quest 2.
Both big names and indie developers are seeing huge spikes in sales, including games on the 3rd-party SideQuest platform.
Additional sales help boost future development, meaning more content and new games on the horizon.

Since the launch of the Oculus Quest 2 just 3 days ago, developers from all over the spectrum of VR gaming are reporting a significant spike in sales. From big names to smaller indie studios, the Oculus Quest 2 is having a huge impact on game sales and, ultimately, the success of the VR industry.

Specifically, we’re seeing reports from studios like Cloudhead Games, makers of Pistol Whip, showing an 10x increase in sales. The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets and Apex Construct developer Fast Travel Games is seeing an 800% spike in sales, while Angry Birds VR and Blaston developer Resolutio…

From the headset to all the official accessories, here’s every link you need.

Here’s where to buy the Oculus Quest 2
All the accessories you can buy for the Oculus Quest 2

Facebook kept the Oculus Quest 2 tightly under wraps until about mid-August when the floodgates opened and leaks started appearing on the web. Facebook officially announced the Oculus Quest at Facebook Connect on September 16, 2020.

The Oculus Quest 2 represents a major step forward for wireless VR, as we’ve pointed out in our Oculus Quest 2 review. It features substantially improved performance and graphics over the original Oculus Quest, adds in more RAM, a 50% higher resolution display, 3D audio, additional storage options, and even better ergonomics for the headset and controllers.

The Oculus Quest 2 with 64GB of storage retails for $299, while the model with 256GB of storage retails for $399. Neither model supports expandable storage so make sure you grab the bigger one if you like to install a lot of ga…

Facebook says it’s working quickly to fix this temporary problem.

What you need to know

Some players are getting their Facebook accounts banned after being falsely identified as fake accounts.
Banned Facebook accounts cannot be signed into, making the Oculus Quest 2 unplayable.
Facebook says they are working on the problem, which is a temporary issue, and to contact customer service to help resolve it.

The Oculus Quest 2 is an amazing piece of hardware with some killer games, but some players seem to have run into a huge snag. It seems that some new players purchasing an Oculus Quest 2 don’t yet have Facebook accounts. Upon signing up for an account and linking their existing account, Facebook’s automated systems are marking these accounts as “fake identities”, thus banning them in the process. But it’s not just that players are unable to join multiplayer sessions or purchase content from the Oculus Store — they’re not able to use their shiny new Quest 2 at all.

Right now, Fa…

When considering which TV to buy this Prime Day, you definitely need to look at one of the latest LG OLED TV models. Both the 55″ and 65″ models are on sale for 20% off right now — a discount that’s rarely available — and represent the very best in TV technology you can buy for your home. If the absolute best picture quality matters to you, if you need perfect black levels, a perfect 4K picture, an eye-watering 120Hz refresh rate, or just a great OS that powers the experience, an LG OLED TV should be your first choice.

When looking for a TV, the choices are dizzying. Aside from choosing between the cleverly marketed QLED (which is a fancy LCD TV) and the many different manufacturers that now make OLED TVs, there’s certainly no obvious choice upfront. But here’s something to consider: LG has been making OLED TVs for years. It was the pioneer in OLED TV tech — a position many thought Samsung would take after pioneering OLED displays on smartphones — and it’s been adding to and p…

The future of VR is mostly safe in the hands of Facebook.

When the original Oculus Quest was announced in September 2018, even Facebook didn’t expect it to do as well as it did (as evidenced by the fact that it could never keep the Quest in stock). The Oculus Quest experience went beyond what was expected of a VR headset by being more than just affordable — it was as easy to use as a video game console. Since that launch, Facebook has acquired several VR game development studios, brought several developers onboard with its Oculus Store, and changed the paradigm of what people expect from the standalone VR experience.

The Oculus Quest 2 promises to one-up that experience in every way, with a processor that’s three entire generations newer than the one in the original Oculus Quest, enhanced ergonomics with a lighter and smaller headset, a significantly higher-resolution display, brand new lenses, redesigned controllers, and more accessories than you can shake a stick at. Facebook a…

Owners of the Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2 know just how good the truly wireless experience is. What they may not know, however, is how their gaming PC could transform these devices into an Oculus Rift and enable even grander-scale VR experiences. Our step-by-step guide will show you the easiest path to using your Oculus Quest as a PC VR headset, as well as introducing a few ways to keep the experience truly wireless. The best part is that your PC will be storing all the games needed, so you can opt for the less-expensive Oculus Quest 2 64GB.

Products used in this guide

The easiest way to connect: Oculus Link cable ($79 at Amazon)
When a USB-C port isn’t available: Modal 10-foot cable ($27 at Best Buy)
See your computer’s desktop through your Quest: Virtual Desktop ($20 at Oculus)
Unlock your Quest’s full potential: SideQuest (Free at SideQuest VR)

With an Oculus Link (wired)

Wired is the best way to go right now for two main reasons. First, the wired experience is easy …

Sony looks to be stepping it up in a big way for a new generation with the PSVR 2.

Jump to:

Will the original PSVR work on the PS5?
What is the PSVR 2?
What will the PSVR 2 cost?
When will the PSVR 2 be released?
What will the PSVR 2 controllers look like?
Will the PSVR 2 have an improved display and lenses?
Will the PSVR 2 be lighter and smaller?
Will the PSVR 2 have eye-tracking?
Will the PSVR 2 have face-tracking?
Will the PSVR 2 be wireless?

From brand new controller designs to much higher-fidelity visuals, there’s a lot to get excited about with the PSVR 2. PlayStation VR on the PS4 has been a success story in some very real ways, and Sony plans to continue that trend on the PS5. With over 5 million units sold and a steady library of games, Sony proved that VR gaming can be successful as an add-on to an already successful console. With the PS5, Sony looks to be upping the ante significantly, and the next-generation of PlayStation VR, likely called the PSVR 2, could sign…

PC VR at its best — without the wires.

What you need to know

Virtual Desktop allows PC VR games to be streamed wirelessly to an Oculus Quest or Quest 2 via Wi-Fi connection.
This new alpha build of Virtual Desktop supports the higher 90Hz refresh rate of the Oculus Quest 2’s display.
Games that require fast reflexes, like Beat Saber, will take particular advantage of the newfound faster refresh rate and connectivity.

If you’ve already preordered an Oculus Quest 2 with the hope of playing PC VR games with it, you’re certainly in luck. Virtual Desktop is now testing a new alpha build featuring Oculus Quest 2 compatibility, with upgrades specifically geared towards the Oculus Quest 2’s ability to run games at a higher 90Hz refresh rate. That’s an 18Hz refresh rate improvement over the original Oculus Quest, and it makes games feel even more buttery smooth than before.

In addition to that, the Oculus Quest 2 supports Wi-Fi 6 routers with higher data transfer rates and lower laten…

Best answer: Yes. Some Ring Video Doorbell batteries are easier to replace than others, though.

Ring’s best wireless video doorbell: Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus ($230 at Amazon)
Grab an extra: Ring Video Doorbell battery pack ($30 at Amazon)
Let the Sun do the charging: Ring Video Doorbell solar charger ($50 at Amazon)

Drop and go batteries for Ring Video Doorbell

Most Ring Video Doorbell models feature a quick-release battery pack, which is designed to be easily removable. That’s because most Ring Video Doorbell models are battery-powered and are designed to help owners quickly and easily change out the battery for a charged one. You can either stock up on a second Ring Video Doorbell battery so that your doorbell never goes unpowered, or just charge the battery up when it gets low as you would a phone.

The difference between the Ring Video Doorbell and a phone is that the battery has to be removed to be charged. So unless you do happen to stock up on additional batteries, you …

Pretty colors without the hub

LIFX Z LED Strip

$99 at Best Buy
$112 at Walmart
$84 at Home Depot

Pros

Way more affordable
No hub needed
Millions of colors
Individual color zones
Extendable
Works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit

Cons

Doesn’t change color based on what’s on TV

LiFX designed the Z LED Lightstrip to set the mood in any room, with a special emphasis on providing brilliant lighting behind a TV or monitor. Control the colors and brightness from the LiFX app, or connect to your favorite virtual assistant and let your voice make the commands.

Extremely nice, for a price

Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip

Preorder from Best Buy
Preorder from Philips

Pros

Can change color based on what’s on TV (with sync box)
Easy installation brackets included
Blends light perfectly with other Hue lights
Works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit

Cons

Very expensive
Requires a hub and a Hue sync box
Designed for TVs between 55-65…