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The next Oculus Quest headset might arrive in September

It could have major display and controller changes.

WalkingCat/Twitter

Oculus’ rumored sequel to the Quest might be close at hand. Historically reliable leaker WalkingCat has posted images (via Road to VR) of what’s believed to be a new version of the virtual reality headset that would arrive on September 15th. While these are clearly generic press shots, they’re supported by a Reddit leak of what appears to be a prototype of the same device.

There are no guarantees either image set represents a finished product. If they do, though, there could be major changes in store. RtVR noted that the current Quest’s IPD (interpupillary distance) slider has vanished, suggesting that you’ll be looking at one large display rather than two. That, in turn, hints at a possible switch from OLED to an LCD like that found in the Rift S. It wouldn’t have the same contrast ratio, but it could be key to jumping to a claimed 90Hz or even 120Hz refresh rate instead of the 72Hz in the existing model.

The controllers might have changed, too. The images hint that Oculus might use input similar to the Touch hardware that came with the Rift CV1 — a good thing for veterans who believe the Quest and Rift S controllers were steps backward.

This future Quest also wouldn’t have the velcro side straps from before. It’s not certain how the mechanism works, but it could involve a spring system that saves you from having to adjust the fit. There’s no triangular strap opening to help the headset stay in place, either, supporting talk that the new Quest is considerably lighter.

There are still some unknowns. It’s not clear what would power the new Quest, although faster refresh rates would dictate a newer platform like Qualcomm’s XR2. If these images are accurate, though, the new version of Oculus’ stand-alone headset could have a few welcome upgrades, albeit with a few tradeoffs.