Facebook's Oculus Quest 2 is finally getting its long-rumored native 120Hz upgrade, so owners can experience some ultra-smooth VR gameplay. However, Oculus also announced another feature that will turn the VR headset into even more of a powerhouse.
Oculus' latest v28 update brings a new Oculus Air Link feature that lets Quest 2 owners play PC VR games wirelessly over Wi-Fi. This means you can ditch the USB-C cable and be free from being tethered to your gaming laptop or PC while playing games like Half-Life: Alyx.
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Oculus Quest 2: How to play PC VR games wirelessly
As stated in a blog post, the new Air Link feature will be rolling out with the gradual release of the v28 update. It will first be shipped in "Experimental mode" on the Quest 2, as it's still in early development. That said, once you've downloaded the v28 software on your VR headset and gaming rig, you'll be able to test it out yourself.
To install it, open the Oculus PC app and navigate to "Settings." Click on the "Beta" option and you'll then be able to enable the Air Link toggle. After this, head to "Settings" on your Quest 2 headset, and click on "Experimental." Then enable Air Link.
Oculus suggests your play area should be within 20 feet of your Wi-FI router for the Air Link to work efficiently. It also emphasizes using a "5Ghz network on an AC or AX router, connected via ethernet cable to your PC."
While this new feature will make getting an Oculus Quest 2 even more of a no-brainer for most, especially at that $299 price point, we're sure wirelessly streaming PC VR games through Air Link will have its hiccups at first — especially since it's only in its early development stage.
As for the 120Hz display refresh rate upgrade, there aren't any apps on the Oculus Store that support it yet. However, this leaves room for developers to ship apps that run at 120Hz natively in the future. Here's hoping one will come out soon.
The v28 update also brings improvements to Oculus' Infinite Office feature. Now, VR users will be able to map a virtual desk over an actual desk. What's more, it will let you pair a physical keyboard so that it appears as a 3D object in VR. Right now, those with a Logitech K830 will be able to see a 3D representation of your hands and keyboard so you can type away in VR. Neat.
Oculus states that it will continue to add even more features to its popular Quest 2. We might see what's to come in its first-ever Gaming Showcase.
