Quest 2’s GPU performance is now 7% higher than before.
The Quest OS dynamically adjusts the GPU clock frequency to give apps the performance they need without wasting battery when they don’t need it. In a software update today, Meta increased the maximum frequency from 490 MHz to 525 MHz. This appears to be an automatic update applied to all headsets, not a new full system update you’d need to wait for.
No developer integration is required, but developers could leverage this extra power to release updates slightly increasing rendering resolution. Pico 4 uses the same GPU with the maximum clock speed set to 587 MHz, and Red Matter 2’s developer utilized this to deliver noticeably higher resolution.
Bizarrely though, for your Quest 2 to use the new 525 MHz maximum you have to take off the headset and then put it back on again after launching each app. Meta said this odd requirement will be dropped in the v49 system update. V47 released earlier this month, so v49 could be months away – although Meta has skipped version numbers in the past.
Meta didn’t disclose whether this update will reduce battery life, nor what made it possible. Quest 2 is now in the final year of its three year lifespan – Quest 3 is launching later next year, and its new chipset could deliver at least double the GPU performance.
