Can Oculus Quest survive a drop?

Best Answer: For every-day wear and tear, the Quest is quite durable, but be mindful of the cameras and lenses in particular.

• Untethered VR experience: Oculus Quest (From $399 on Amazon)

VR durability

The Oculus Quest will expose many new users to VR. As such, consumers should be aware of the limits of their new headsets in order to prevent damage. In many ways, VR headsets are designed to be quite durable. The outer shells are typically a durable plastic, which may collect dings and scratches, but will stand up to general accidents. In other ways, they can be extremely delicate.

In regards to the Quest, the headset is an all-in-one device instead of relying on a PC, so it may often be used in unfamiliar areas. It could be susceptible to more damage than a headset confined to your at-home playspace. This begs the question, can it survive a fall? If you dropped it off of a tall building, it most likely is not going to survive. But, let's take a look into more of the every-day accidents that a VR user might experience.

How far is too far?

Most damage a new user will likely inflict on the headset would be crashing into things. Sometimes getting into a virtual space can be very jarring to a new user, and you should expect some level of disorientation to begin. Since the device is not tethered, you will have a greatly increased range of motion compared to a headset tethered to a PC. This might even involve rolling or doing flips for the athletically inclined.

Considering other types of accidents, such as dropping the device while taking it out or putting it away, the major concern for the Quest is the cameras to track your controllers. The Quest relies on the Oculus Insight tracking system, which uses the four cameras on the sides to map your playspace and controllers. Since the cameras are exposed, it wouldn't take a lot to damage them. The camera spaces are recessed a bit, so these should keep them relatively safe from a direct drop, but if they hit a corner or something sharp, they could be damaged. To avoid this, be very careful while handling the device, and be sure it is properly strapped to your head when in use.

Another consideration is how a drop or impact could affect the internal components. A VR headset is essentially a delicate screen with equally delicate lenses in front of it, all encased in a plastic shell. While the screen and lenses are secured, it's always possible they could shake loose or become otherwise damaged if dropped hard enough. Like any piece of hardware, it should be treated carefully. Just because it could survive a drop, doesn't mean you should drop it.

Getting in touch with Oculus for repairs

Should you find yourself needing to repair your Quest, you can submit a support ticket here to get in touch with Oculus Support. Submitting the ticket takes just a couple of minutes, and once you send it off, Oculus says you can expect a response within one to two business days.