However, another apparent render of ‘Oculus Quest 2’ leaked from WalkingCat, this time showing the lenses from a lower center angle.
WalkingCat on Wednesday shared apparent renderings of the front of the headset with the new drivers. Earlier today, the account shared another apparent render, this time from a side angle.
Also today we saw apparent photos of the headphones coming out of a separate source, but the angle the lenses show is too blurry to make out any detail.
Last week, Japanese publication Nikkei reported that a new Oculus headset went into production this month, with production targets of 2 million units. Our sources tell us that full rate production should start next week.
As we noted with the previous leaks, this new headset doesn’t appear to have a lens separation adjustment slider on the bottom of the headset where it’s located on the current Quest. The Rift S does not feature this.
Facebook told us that Rift S lenses are “best for users with 61.5 and 65.5mm IPDs,” which equates to only 46% of men and 43% of women in the largest publicly available IPD dataset. The side angle image seemed to show new lenses compared to the current Quest. However, it was difficult to distinguish it from a low angle, because it could also be an eyepiece blocking light.
The new filtered angle does not provide a clear answer to whether this is the case. The question remains: is this a new shape of the lens, or just a raised material that hides the actual shape of the lens? But some details in the image raise interesting new questions about the headphone’s optical system:
In the same space as the proximity sensor on all previous Oculus consumer headsets, there is a frame with the number ‘2’ underneath. Is this a configuration indicator of some kind? Or maybe a toggle switch? Or just a design mark for “Oculus Quest 2”?
Interestingly, there is a large gap between the lenses and the internal plastic frame. Could it be a hint that the lenses can be moved to match the wearer’s eyes, even though there is no slider at the bottom? A design in which the user moves both lenses by simply pressing one of the cups could be mechanically simpler and more compact than a slider.
Alternatively, Facebook could be trying to reduce as much of the headphone material as possible when there is fabric in some of these areas in an original Quest. Could some of the internal differences be attributed to an effort to keep the weight as low as possible?
To be clear, all of our suggestions here are observational speculations. Major changes may be hidden deeper in the earpiece than these images have shown.
So while it is still not possible to say definitively if the lenses are new or if they move or not, this latest leak certainly shows us things we have never seen before on an Oculus headset. On the other hand, as with all leaks, take this image with a large grain of salt. Even if it is real, it may not reflect the current state of the product. We will be watching Facebook in the coming weeks and months to provide you with any official information that we can find.
What do you think is going on with the optical system of this headset? Is it a new lens or a stylish eyepiece lens? Is this a less expensive fixed lens design, or is there more to it than everyone might see at first glance??
