6DoF, IPD, passthrough, foveated rendering — decode the jargon before you buy.
Tracking and movement
6DoF (six degrees of freedom) means the headset tracks both your rotation and your movement through space — essential for real VR. 3DoF only tracks rotation. Inside-out tracking uses cameras on the headset; outside-in uses external sensors or base stations.
Display terms
IPD is the distance between your pupils — matching it to the headset keeps the image sharp. Refresh rate (Hz) is how smooth motion looks. FOV (field of view) is how much of your vision the screen fills. Screen-door effect is seeing gaps between pixels.
Mixed reality terms
Passthrough shows the real world via cameras. Mixed reality (MR) blends digital objects with your room. Guardian/boundary is the safe play area you draw. Foveated rendering uses eye tracking to render sharply only where you look, saving performance.
Connection terms
Standalone means no PC needed. PC VR uses a computer's GPU. Link/Air Link connect a Quest to a PC by cable or wirelessly. SteamVR is Valve's PC VR platform with a huge game library.