US tech giant Facebook has confirmed a new entry-level Oculus Quest 2 model will be released amid leaks reported earlier this week, the company announced in a blog post.
Oculus confirmed it would officially retire the 64GB model and double the headset’s storage with a 128GB version of the Quest 2.
Andrew Bosworth, Facebook’s Head of Reality Labs, said in a statement:
“When Quest 2 goes back on sale in a few weeks, we’ll also debut a new 128GB SKU that will come with the silicone cover included from Day 1. We’re ending sales of 64GB headsets as this new SKU becomes our standard Quest 2 offering for the same price of $299 USD.
He added Oculus hoped the larger storage size would allow users greater flexibility for games and content, and that the new silicon covers would provide gamers with “more ways to have a comfortable experience with both the 128GB and 256GB Quest.”
Initial Leaks
Initial reports of the 128GB headset come after Japanese online magazine Shonen Jump Plus leaked the 128GB headset in an advertisement along with the current premium 256 GB Quest 2.
Following this, French online retailer ‘Microconcept’ listed the headset on their storefront, but quickly deleting it afterwards.
Shonen Jump Plus also excluded the 64GB model in its promotion, hinting Oculus may discontinue the 64GB version, which Oculus later confirmed after announcing its official retirement.
The developments also come amid rumours of a Quest Pro which the company could potentially announce at the next Facebook Connect event.
Skin Irritation Issues
The news comes after the Menlo Park-based firm issued a recall on Quest 2 headsets due to users complaints the device’s foam guards caused skin irritation issues.
Facebook responded on Wednesday by allowing Quest 2 headset owners to receive free silicon eye and nose upgrades to replace the previous foam components.
Earlier this year, users reported mild skin irritation due to the foam lining near the user’s eyes, with symptoms ranging from redness, bumps or swelling.
The European (EU) Commission issued a chemical alert after they found skin and eye irritants in the foam face pad, forcing Facebook and Oculus to pull Quest 2 devices from Amazon EU.
Oculus consulted dermatology and toxicology experts, who concluded the irritation was neither allergic nor serious.
Despite Facebook stating it had found no irritants in the Quest 2 manufacturing process, the EU Commission reported the foam pad contained Propylene carbonate, Phenol, fragrance 7-hydroxycitronellal, and Benzocaine.
According to Oculus, the issues have affected roughly 0.01 percent of users, which violated EU Commission and Facebook’s safety standards, leading to the recalls.
Facebook is expecting new 128GB Quest 2 devices to hit marketplaces on August 24 this year, it concluded.
