Source: @h0x0d on Twitter
Best answer: Most likely. The current leaks show a cloth and Velcro design that’s much closer to the Oculus Go design, which was a more comfortable solution than the existing Oculus Quest’s head strap design.
Oculus Quest 2 Taking the pressure off your face
While the Oculus Quest is an amazing product, it’s not without its shortcomings. One of the biggest issues is with the weight and the head strap design, which can be very uncomfortable for some users. While you can get additional accessories to help fix this glaring issue, what’s better than an out-of-the-box experience that doesn’t need modification?
That’s why we fully expect the Oculus Quest 2 to have a brand new head strap design that’s more comfortable than the current Oculus Quest design. Since the Oculus Quest 2 hasn’t been officially announced just yet, we’re basing this information on leaks and rumors that have been shown so far.
The Oculus Quest’s strap design tends to favor placing more weight on the cheeks and forehead than helping balance the weight out. The cloth straps we’ve seen in the leaks and renders of the Oculus Quest 2 look to help cradle the back of the skull much better than the current head strap design. Putting that weight on the straps at the back of the head has, historically, meant a more comfortable head-mounted display (HMD) since it’s not pushing down on your cheeks or forehead as much. The Oculus Quest 2 is also slated to be at least 20% lighter than the first-generation Oculus Quest which, in conjunction with more comfortable straps means a better overall experience.
It’s not clear if these straps will be as easy to use or adjust as the current-generation Oculus Quest’s, however. Those straps make it easy to put the headset on and take it off your head without needing to adjust the velcro, which was a big advantage for a headset that’s designed to be portable. Many cloth strap designs, like the original HTC Vive straps, were cumbersome and didn’t provide as much support as more rigid straps like those that shipped with the Oculus Rift. We’ll have to wait and see.
Oculus Quest 2 Keeping what’s good and improving what’s not
The current leaks and renders clearly show two important features in the audio and strap design areas: built-in speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack. Just like the current Oculus Quest, the Oculus Quest 2 looks to have speakers built right into the front of the head straps, meaning you’ll be getting excellent sound without external headphones. Folks wanting a higher-fidelity audio experience can still use headphones and plug them into the 3.5mm audio jack, which is great for games like Beat Saber that rely on higher audio fidelity. There’s still a USB Type-C port here, which could be used for USB-C headphones. We’ve not heard word of Bluetooth headphone support just yet, though.
It also looks like Oculus is changing a few things up, starting with the lenses. The current physical IPD slider design appears to be gone and, in its place, is a new preset system. Facebook is likely also redesigning the Oculus Touch controllers once again, with improved ergonomics and possibly some additional features.
