[Experience] 'Punching the air with a thrilling vibration'... This leads the virtual world

Meta Quest 2

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Facebook has changed its name to Meta and declared its transition into a metaverse (3D virtual world) company, unveiling the ‘Meta Quest 2,’ a virtual reality (VR) headset that is a step ahead of its competitors. With cumulative sales surpassing 10 million units, the ‘Meta Quest 2’ is expected to lead the creation of a virtual reality content ecosystem. We personally tried the ‘Meta Quest 2’ and experienced the metaverse world that Meta envisions.

Playing a boxing game.

Meta Quest 2 Home Screen.

A New World Unfolding Before Your Eyes

The components of the Meta Quest 2 are simple. It consists of the VR headset worn on the head and two controllers held in each hand. Additionally, there is a USB-C charger used to charge the headset and an auxiliary frame for those who wear glasses.

When you put on the headset, the first thing you need to do is set the usage boundary. This is to prevent injuries from bumping into objects when your vision is blocked. If you cross the boundary, the virtual world screen disappears, and the real world view appears. It feels like alternating between reality and the virtual world. When immersed in high-engagement content and crossing this boundary, it was momentarily difficult to distinguish which was the real world.

After setting the usage boundary, the home screen appears. The user interface (UI) is smooth and clean, making it easy to use without much difficulty. The home screen is similar to a smartphone layout. You can watch videos on the internet browser or download games to use. Through the Meta Quest 2, we experienced a boxing game and 360-degree YouTube videos.

In the boxing game, when I reached out my hand into the air, my hand wearing gloves appeared right before my eyes. A bell signaling the start of the boxing match rang, and I reached out to my opponent, but my punch didn’t hit their face. When I extended my hand further, a vibration indicating a hit on the opponent’s face resonated in my hand. The ability to feel the distance between you and your opponent in a game where you physically move makes it even harder to distinguish from reality. Although I didn’t throw many punches, the high level of immersion quickly made me sweat.

Among the YouTube videos, there are often ones labeled as ‘360-degree videos.’ These can only be viewed through VR devices like the Meta Quest. I watched a roller coaster ride video. When I looked down, I saw feet dangling in the air, and cliffs spread out to the left and right. This is a view you cannot see in regular videos. What especially enhanced the sense of presence while watching the video was the 3D cinematic sound. Even without wearing separate earphones, the sound delivered by the device itself heightened the realism.

Significant Progress Made, but Limitations Remain

The Meta Quest 2 opened up a new world before my eyes, but its limitations were clear. The biggest issue is the lack of content. VR-exclusive content is scarce, and among them, it is not easy to find high-quality content.

The low device penetration rate is also a problem. The price of the Meta Quest 2 approaches 600,000 KRW. The Meta Quest Pro, released last October, exceeds 2,000,000 KRW by a wide margin. Although the Meta Quest 2 has gained popularity with over 10 million units sold worldwide, the sales of VR and AR devices were only 11.2 million units as of 2021. It is still insufficient for us to become characters ourselves and form villages and markets like in the movie ‘Ready Player One.’

There are also device limitations. Weighing 503g, it is not excessively heavy, but it is difficult to engage in intense activities. Since it is worn pressed against the face, discomfort such as sweat accumulating on the device occurs when playing sports games.

However, the expectations are even greater. Currently, many contents referred to as the metaverse are merely characters controlled by mouse or keyboard on a flat screen. But the experience of actually roaming a virtual world through the Meta Quest 2 gave a glimpse of the ‘real’ metaverse world that is to come.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.