Yet another apparent ‘Oculus Quest 2’ render just leaked from WalkingCat, this time showing the lenses from a central bottom angle.
On Wednesday, WalkingCat shared apparent renders of the front of the headset with the new controllers. Earlier today, the account shared another apparent render, this time from a side angle.
Also today we saw apparent photos of the headset leak out from a separate source, but the one angle showing the lenses is too blurry to make out any detail.
Just last week, Japanese publication Nikkei reported that a new Oculus headset entered production this month, with production goals of 2 million units. Our sources tell us full rate production should start next week.
As we noted with the earlier leaks, this new headset doesn’t seem to have a lens separation adjustment slider on the bottom of the headset where it sits on the current Quest. The Rift S does not feature this.
Facebook told us the Rift S lenses are “best for users between 61.5 and 65.5mm” IPD, which equated to just 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 tell from a low angle, because it could also be an eyecup blocking out light.
The new leaked angle doesn’t provide a clear answer to whether this is the case. The question still remains: is this a new lens shape, or simply a raised material obscuring the actual shape of the lens? But a few details in the image raise interesting new questions about the headset’s optical system:
In the same space as the proximity sensor in all previous consumer Oculus headsets, there’s a structure with the number ‘2’ below it. Is this a setting indicator of some sort? Or perhaps a toggle switch? Or simply a design mark of “Oculus Quest 2”?
Interestingly, there is a large gap between the lenses and the internal plastic frame. Could that be a hint that the lenses can be moved to match the user’s eyes, even though there’s no slider on the bottom? A design where the user moves both lenses by just pushing one of the cups might be mechanically simpler and more compact than a slider.
Alternatively, Facebook could be trying to shave down as much material from the headset as possible when there’s fabric in some of these areas on an original Quest. Might some of the internal differences be attributed to an effort to keep the weight as low as possible?
To be clear, all our suggestions here are observational speculation. Important changes might be hidden deeper in the headset than these images have shown.
So while it’s not yet possible to definitively say whether the lenses are new or whether or not they move, this latest leak certainly shows us things we’ve never seen before in an Oculus headset. Then again, as with all leaks, take this image with a huge grain of salt. Even if it is real, it may not reflect the current state of the product. We’ll keep a close eye on Facebook in the coming weeks and months to bring you any official information we can find.
What do you think’s going on with the optical system of this headset? Is it a new lens, or a fancy eyecup? Is this a less expensive fixed lens design, or is there more going on than everyone could see at first glance?
