Oculus Quest 2 Air Link Will Wireless Stream PC VR Games To Headsets
Facebook and Oculus are investing heavily in the Quest 2 VR system, pushing it as the pinnacle of the Oculus' efforts and replacing all previous headsets, both standalone and PC-tethered like the discontinued Oculus Rift S. Its launch may have been tainted by some controversy over Facebook's new requirements but, on a technical point of view, the Quest 2 is admittedly on the road to truly becoming the one headset to rule them all, especially with version 28 of the Oculus Quest system software that opens it up to new ways of enjoying VR worlds.
While it can be used on its own, the Oculus Quest 2 can also be connected to a PC to enjoy the already existing catalog of VR games and apps developed for the older Rift platform. This was possible using a USB-C cable but the v28 will make that wireless. Calling it Air Link, the feature will allow users to stream their PC VR content to the headset, provided they have a Link-compatible PC and, ideally, a 5GHz Wi-Fi router.
VR, however, isn't just about fun and games, and developers like Oculus are trying to push more productive applications of the technology. Infinite Office was announced back in September last year and v28 expands that with additional features. In addition to being able to integrate your physical desk into the VR space, owners of Logitech K830 Bluetooth keyboards will also be able to "bring" their input device into VR in an attempt to bridge the divide between physical and virtual.
The update also adds support for a 120Hz refresh rate, at least for games and apps that want to take advantage of that. Oculus Quest's systems apps will still run at 90Hz by default but toggling on the switch will future-proof the headset for content that will eventually switch to that refresh rate.
The Oculus Quest v28 software is gradually rolling out but Air Link won't be enabled until both Quest and PC software are running the same version. The Oculus Quest 2 is definitely shaping up to be the platform's most flexible system but many still see its hard Facebook requirements to be a major deal-breaker.