How does Downpour’s popular VR shooter stack up on new hardware? Find out in our Onward Quest 2 vs Quest graphics comparison!
This was one we were waiting for. Lots of Oculus Quest games have already seen updates to improve their graphics in time for Quest 2’s launch today. But we’ve been eagerly awaiting a patch for Onward. When the game launched on the original Quest a few months back it caused a stir with a visual downgrade that also had a dramatic impact on the PC version of the game to accommodate cross-play.
The PC version continues to improve, including some updates in today’s 1.8.5 patch, but we’re mostly interested in the differences between Quest 1 and Quest 2 in this update. The gap is pretty significant, though the Quest 1 version of the game has been updated a fair bit too.
Onward Quest 2 vs Quest Graphics Comparison
Disclaimer: Downpour Interactive is aware of the bug shown in this Quest 2 footage that inadvertently makes your gun appear orange/pink. They’re working on a hot fix ASAP.
The two big visuals updates for Quest 2 include what the developer calls ‘improved level of detail bias’ and support for ‘Specular Maps’. The latter allows for much more detailed weapon models, while the former fights issues like pop in, in which objects and textures can suddenly appear on-screen.
Sure enough, we headed back to classic map, Suburbia, and were pleasantly surprised by the updates. Stand still and look out across the distance and you won’t notice much difference, though the map now carries a rather dashing evening red sunset on both versions. But grab whichever weapon you’ve selected and you’ll immediately start noticing the differences – the Quest 2 version’s weapons have better lighting, which in turn better reveals the intricate details Downpour has applied to its models.
More important, though, is the difference in pop-in. Walk down a street in Suburbia and you’ll find the map is still somewhat chaotic with this issue. Textures start bumping up in detail the closer you get and in some cases, even objects appear out of thin air. Some of this still happens in the Quest 2 version but, overall, it’s much more solid and doesn’t feel half as erratic as playing the game on Quest.
As a major test, I always like to go and look at the washing machine in the house just off Straight Street. In past versions — even on PC — it’s taken a painfully long time for the model to load fully. That’s still the case on Quest 1, but on Quest 2 you can just about see it quickly switch as you round the door to approach it.
Overall this is a pretty positive step up, then. Obviously, Onward on Quest still doesn’t approach the former visual fidelity of the PC version or even the current build with cross-play, but it’s great to see Downpour continuing to hack away at this element of the game.
What do you make of the Onward Quest 2 vs Quest graphics comparison? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow us on YouTube for more comparisons to come!
