Original Oculus Quest Reportedly Discontinued, Unannounced New Version Coming

After only being available for a little over a year, it appears the Oculus Quest could be on its way out--or at least the original version of the headset. Just prior to Facebook Connect, retailers have begun delisting the Quest and are reportedly saying it has been discontinued. However, fear not: A replacement is almost inevitable.

Speaking to UploadVR, a UK sales representative said the device had reached its "end of life" and no more shipments will be arriving. It will likely give way to a new and improved Quest rather than signify the standalone headset's complete demise. It has sold well and has been regularly out of stock at retailers well before its apparent discontinuation.

On September 16, Facebook will hold an AR- and VR-focused conference called Facebook Connect. A replacement for the Oculus Connect conference, the name change comes as Oculus Research itself was renamed to Facebook Reality Labs. Given the massive brand recognition for Oculus, however, it seems unlikely the devices themselves will drop it.

The Oculus Quest has certainly been more useful to players during the ongoing pandemic, as it has a host of fitness-based games that let you get a good workout without leaving your home. These include boxing and sports games as well as action games that just happen to also deliver a good workout. We saw a similar spike in sales for Nintendo's Ring Fit Adventure, though it has been easier to find more recently.

Alongside its standalone capabilities, the Oculus Quest can also function as a replacement for Oculus Rift when connected to a PC via Oculus Link. This will let players enjoy Rift games without needing the Rift itself, including the upcoming Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond from Respawn Entertainment. That game features the return of the original developer Peter Hirschmann. It will be the first game in the series in eight years following the critical and commercial failure of Medal of Honor: Warfighter.