Every virtual reality enthusiast’s dream of wireless gaming came true when Oculus introduced its Air Link technology. This advancement provided greater mobility and comfort in the game.
If you’re willing to ditch the cables and go wireless, this article will help you get things set up and enjoy your VR adventure to the fullest.
What you need for Air Link
For the Air Link connection to work as intended, you will need the following:
- A suitable Windows PC with a good graphics card (Windows 10 or later; a GPU equivalent to GTX 1060 with 6 GB of memory or better; and a CPU equivalent to Intel i5 – 4590 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or better).
- Oculus Quest 2 software that you can download from the official Oculus website from Meta.
- A strong, stable Internet connection, with your PC connected to the router via an Ethernet cable (other wirelessly connected devices may affect streaming).
Air Link PC Settings
For the headset to connect, you must prepare the PC by installing the Oculus software and enabling Air Link. The process is the following:
- Download and install the PC client from the official site. oculus page.
- Register an account or register through Facebook profile as it is Meta’s service. Once you have installed the software, log in to your account.
- Click on the “Settings” option, the last one in the sidebar on the left.
- Click the “Beta” tab at the top of that menu window.
- Activate the “Air Link” button by clicking on it.
You have successfully enabled Air Link. However, his work is not yet complete. Please note that as mentioned in the enable button, if not used for 24 hours, Air Link will automatically turn off.
Oculus Quest 2 Setup
Now that your PC is set up correctly, the next part is setting up your Quest 2 headset. In order to use Air Link, your headset’s firmware must be at version 28 or later. If that condition is met, follow these steps to enable it:
- Enter the Oculus Quest hub and find the options bar below the game selection screen. Click on the last option on the right “Settings”, marked with a gear icon.
- Scroll down the menu and find the “Experimental Features” tab and the “Air Link” activation button.
- Go back to the settings menu and click on the “Quick Actions” tab at the top.
- “Oculus Air Link” should appear as a third option. Click on it and you should be able to see your computer listed.
- Click on your computer and then click the blue “Pair” button. This should take you back to the game selection menu.
Now your headphones and your PC are paired and ready to use.
Frequent questions
Can I use Oculus Quest 2 with Air Link on Mac?
Unfortunately not. Currently, both Oculus Quest models are compatible only with Windows-based machines.
Does my PC meet the standards to run Oculus games?
A good gaming PC is needed to run and stream Oculus games. Fortunately, there is no need to risk buying it blind. There is a free tool from Valve you can use it to check if your computer is compatible with virtual reality, whether it is Oculus or any other headset. If your score is in the green area, you’re ready!
Good luck on your search!
Being able to enjoy virtual reality and fully immerse yourself in the world of video games really shows how much technology has advanced over the past few decades. It also remains to be seen if VR games will be just a gimmick or there will be more advanced, story-driven games to become a genre of their own.
