A quest is defined as a long search for something. On my quest, I’m searching for the highs and the lows of Meta’s (previously Facebook) Oculus Quest 2, a virtual reality system that my family recently acquired.

THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT:

The Oculus Quest 2 doesn’t take long to set up. Once you have, and are taken to the virtual world, a quick trip to the settings allows you to change the scenery around you! I changed my home to be the Winter Lodge, a cozy, snowy ski lodge on the top of a beautiful mountain. It took me some time to settle on this one, as there were numerous stunning options available.

Once I had set the environment, I wanted to explore it. Using the Oculus Guardian feature, you set the area that you want to play in, and while you are playing it will alert you if you move too close to the edge. I set my boundaries to as much of my house as I could fit. From there I was able to walk over to the seating area (pictured below), and then over the edge of the lodge (which was kind of funny. When I looked down I was floating on air!). This is one reason why it’s nice to have a large playing area. It is also more engaging to play while actually walking around, as opposed to pulling the trigger to teleport (a feature present in several games on the VR).

GAMES:

Here are some of the great games that I recommend for the VR:

• Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes – a puzzle game that involves one person in the VR set and another reading off instructions on how to complete a puzzle based on descriptions given by the first person. You are trying to disarm a bomb before time runs out and it explodes. A great game to play with friends!
• A Fisherman’s Tale – another puzzle game, you play as a fisherman trying to light a lighthouse. It’s a pretty short game, but unless you’re really good at puzzles, not one you could play in one sitting. It is similar to an escape room, but with cool effects and puzzles impossible to have in a normal escape room, such as manipulating the size of objects and breathing underwater (but not in like a wizard-y kind of way, although it doesn’t really give an explanation). It won VR Game of the Year in 2019.
• Bait – I haven’t played very far into this game, but so far I’ve found it very entertaining. It takes about 2 ½ hours to play through the whole thing, but because it is a fishing game it requires a lot of patience. The tasks, however, are considerably short. The design is very peaceful and beautiful. All in all, I wouldn’t recommend paying for this game, but since it’s free I do recommend playing it.

HOW VIRTUAL REALITY AFFECTS YOUR EYES AND MIND:

Of course, nothing good comes without consequences. Everyone knows how staring at a screen too long can damage your eyes. And now people basically attaching computers to their heads for fun? That’s gotta be bad! VR causes a lot of eye strain. That can lead to blurry vision and worse sight. As for it affecting your brain, well, it’s kind of neutral there. It does cause things like dizziness, but–if used right–it can actually help treat some specific disorders and addictions, and it improves things like people’s memory.

OTHER DOWNSIDES TO VR:

This isn’t a big downside on its own, but VR can create a longing to be somewhere you aren’t. There are so many places and opportunities inside of a virtual world.You have the ability to do things that you can’t really do, so returning to the real world can be a little disappointing. At times, that can even lead to addiction to virtual reality and depression.

And that’s the VR! It’s definitely something I recommend. It is super fun and those puzzle games really make you think. When you put on the headset, you are instantly transported to another world, one where almost everything is possible. If you can’t get one for your house, I would recommend going to Altered Reality. They have several VR experiences that you can pick from there, so everyone has the opportunity to transported to another world!