(Pocket-lint) - The Quest 2 is a great virtual reality headset for a number of reasons. If offers you the freedom of wireless VR, it has a great catalogue of virtual reality games and it's affordable too. Show One of Meta Quest 2's greatest features though is the fact that as well as acting as a standalone VR headset, you can also connect it to your gaming PC and play PCVR games too. We're exploring the various ways you can connect this VR headset to your PC to help you get started.
Connecting with a cable (Oculus Link)The best way to connect your Quest 2 headset to your gaming PC is with a wire. Sadly this loses the freedom of wireless, standalone virtual reality but it also ensures the lowest latency and the best connection. Firstly though you need to be sure that your PC meets the basic requirements for Oculus Link (as it is called) and is VR ready. The minimum specs required are:
Higher specifications will naturally give you better results. Virtual reality games on PC require more processing power for better visuals - Half-Life: Alyx, for example, needs a bit of oomph to run nicely. Meta The right cable for Oculus Linksquirrel_widget_2796643 In order to connect to your headset to your PC you'll ideally want to use a fast USB-C cable. There's an official cable you can purchase from Meta which isn't cheap but is guaranteed to do the job. It's a flexible 5-metre cable which means you have plenty of length to get your game on without issue. You can alternatively purchase a fast cable which meets the USB 2.0 specification. Ideally USB-C to USB-C, assuming you have a USB-C port on your gaming machine. Pocket-lint Install the softwareTo set up Oculus Link in wired mode you'll first need to download the Oculus setup software. This software is a necessary part of the installation and acts as a bridge between the Quest 2 and your gaming library. Once downloaded and installed, launch the software and click through the various steps.
Once that's done you have the choice of buying games from the Oculus Store, launching games you already have there or running games via Steam VR in Oculus mode. The best games that work with Rift S and other headsets should play nicely with Quest 2 as well. Pocket-lint It's worth noting that you can activate and deactivate the Oculus Link connection from within the headset too - assuming the cable is connected and properly detected. In order to do so just navigate to settings by clicking on the cog icon from the navigation bar within the headset. Under those settings, you should then see a section marked "headset" and from there you'll also have access to a button to disable and enable Oculus Link. Obviously, you can also do this from your desktop machine, but the headset seems to play nicely when you give it commands directly. Pocket-lint Enhancing performanceThe Quest 2 has some decent onboard processing power. That's why you can play games wirelessly without being connected to a gaming PC. But when you are connected to a more powerful machine it means you can take advantage of extra things. One of those is improved refresh rates. The Quest 2 is capable of operating up to 120Hz in some instances. You can turn this on via the Oculus setup software once that's installed and your headset is connected. To do so follow these steps:
You can also adjust the rendering resolution in these settings too, which is ideal if you want to make the most of your high-end graphics card. Pocket-lint Play Steam VR gamesTo run PCVR games from Steam simply open your Steam games library as normal. If you haven't done so already, you'll need to install both the SteamVR app (within Steam) and buy or download some Steam VR games. Once that's done, navigate to the VR games you have installed already and click to launch. When you do that you'll usually get a prompt asking whether you want to launch in VR mode or standard mode. Sometimes this prompt will also ask if you want to play in Quest mode. There are two ways to do this. You can launch the games from your PC desktop directly but you can also do it from within the Quest 2 headset. To do this look for the option to see your desktop on the Quest 2's navigation menu. Click that and you'll then get a view of your PC desktop and you can then click to launch games on Steam. This makes it easy to run games but also switch between games when you want to try something else. Pocket-lint Connecting wirelessly (Air Link)As well as connecting your Quest 2 headset to your PC using a cable, you also have the option to connect wirelessly. This gives you back some of the freedom of the wireless headset but it comes at the price of performance. It also requires good hardware in order to run. You'll need a solid home Wi-Fi network for a start. Air Link, as it's called, allows Quest 2 owners to play Oculus Rift-compatible games wirelessly, without needing to be tethered directly to a gaming PC. The company does note though that you'll need a "strong and secure Wi-Fi network" for the best experience and ideally to be within 20 feet of your router. It's also suggested that you do the following for the best results:
Pocket-lint How to connect Quest 2 wirelesslyThe first step here is to open the Oculus setup software and go through the steps there, but the majority of the work needs to happen in the headset itself:
Once that's done you can then launch PCVR games directly from your gaming PC or you can open the desktop view on the headset and do it from there. Windows 11 issuesSome users have reported issues with stuttering when using Air Link on Windows 11. There is a workaround to fix this problem until it's fixed with later patches if you have the issue.
Writing by Adrian Willings. Can you connect Oculus Quest 2 to PC wirelessly?Starting Air Link
Once turned on and paired, you can start Air Link from the Quick Settings menu in the Quest toolbar at any time. Just ensure your desktop PC is on and the Oculus app is open, and you should be good to go.
Is Quest 2 GOOD FOR PC VR?The Quest 2 is an upgrade in every way. It offers a lighter design, a sharper display, and a faster processor, all at a more affordable price than the original. For $400, it's the best all-in-one VR package, with optional accessories that enable PC tethering and much longer operating times.
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