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When it comes to tech gifts for kids that don’t cost more than $300, a few options come to mind. An . A . A Chromebook. Maybe an RC car or a robot. For many people, the answer’s an (now called the 2). There’s only one problem: It’s not designed for kids under 13, and I wouldn’t recommend it for them either. Even though Meta has promised additional for Quest 2 devices, and they won’t need a Facebook account to use , there remain plenty of concerns around safety, both in terms of physical play and online interactions.
Meta, formerly Facebook, has developed its virtual reality headset into a unique gaming console. It’s an excellent product, and there’s nothing else quite like it, especially at this price. Just keep in mind that the Quest 2 isn’t the kid-friendly system you might think it is. (Although, if you’re anything like most of my friends and family, you’ll probably get it anyway.)
The Quest 2 is an amazing doorway to , and it can be a device you share with kids under supervision if you’re in the same room with them. But as a parent and someone who’s used the Quest 2 regularly, I can’t recommend it as a dedicated kid’s device for several reasons.
First, even Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t consider the Quest 2 appropriate for children. When about my concerns and questions in 2021, he said, regarding the possibility of a kid-focused VR headset or software ecosystem, “I think it’s probably quite a ways off that we’d really build something like this.”
My concerns over how Meta and other app developers handle behavior in online VR communities also looms large. While this is true in many non-VR apps, too, is real.
However, there just to choose from right now. The age of is long gone. Nintendo did make a , if you can find it on sale somewhere, but it was more toy than tool. The is still fun, but it’s full of wires, and at this point I’d wait until the .
My reasons for steering parents away from the Quest 2 as a gift for kids are below. But if you need further convincing of how much Meta itself doesn’t consider the Quest a device for kids, read its .
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