Oculus Link: What you need to know about Meta's device

• Oculus Link lets you connect your Meta Quest 2 to a PC to run PC VR apps and games.
• For best results, use a USB 3 cable, though Oculus Link should also work with slower USB 2 cables.
• For a fully wireless experience, you can use the Oculus Air Link setting as well

Oculus Link is a feature built into Quest 2, the Meta VR headset that allows you to connect your Quest to a PC. While the Meta Quest 2 is a completely self-contained wireless VR headset that can run games and apps from the large Quest library, Oculus Link adds an additional dimension, letting you use your computer's substantially higher processing power to run more complex PC VR games. 

Here is what you need to know about Oculus Link, including how to use it with the Meta Quest 2.

Is Oculus Link worth it?

Most VR headsets are either standalone devices that run their own software or tethered to a PC and able to run a library of more powerful VR apps. Oculus Link lets you do either or both. That means that Oculus Link gives you, as a Meta Quest 2 user, a set of tools and capabilities unlike any other VR headset for almost no cost beyond the investment in the headset. 

While Oculus Link is an entirely optional part of the Quest VR experience, if your computer is powerful enough, using it can give you access to far more engaging VR apps with better graphics, more realistic physics, and dramatically richer gameplay or simulations. Essentially, that means you get the best of both worlds. And because you might already have the only accessory you need to run Oculus Link — a USB-C cable — that means it's definitely worth it. 

Is Oculus Link just USB-C?

You should be able to use most USB-C cables with Oculus Link to connect your headset to a PC. Oculus sells its own Link Cable, a 16-foot cable with a USB-C connection at both ends. It costs $80 and should deliver the best, smoothest, and most reliable connection. 

Even so, you can find other high-quality USB-C cables at a significantly lower cost. There's no harm in trying alternative cables and seeing if they get the job done. For best results, use a USB 3.0 cable, which features USB-C connectors at both ends. The Quest headset is also compatible with USB 2.0 cables as well — though performance may not be as good. 

All that said, you might not need to use a USB-C cable at all. The Quest 2 also supports Oculus Air Link, which lets you connect your Quest 2 headset to your PC wirelessly. Like any wireless technology, you might find some latency, hiccups, and stuttery video, which can add up to a bad VR experience. You can try Air Link and revert to a Link Cable instead if it doesn't meet your needs. 

How to get started with Oculus Link

Using Oculus Link is pretty straightforward. Follow these steps:

1. To begin, ensure you have a USB-C cable. You can try the wireless Oculus Air Link, but if you have any difficulties, start with the USB-C cable setup. 
2. Install the Oculus desktop app onto your PC. Log in with your Meta account credentials.   
3. Start the Oculus desktop app and turn on your Quest 2 headset. 
4. Connect your Oculus Link cable to the headset and a USB port on your PC. 
5. If you see a message requesting access to data inside the headset, choose Deny.

   

6. Within the headset, start Settings and choose System.
7. Choose Quest Link.

   

8. On the Quest Link page, make sure Quest Link is enabled (the button should be swiped to the right) and then choose Launch Quest Link. 
9. If you want to try the Air Link wireless option, turn on Use Air Link. Otherwise, make sure it's disabled and then choose Launch. 

What are the requirements for Oculus Link?

Depending on what processor and video card you have, you might find that your PC doesn't meet the requirements to run Oculus Link — for example, does an NVidia RTX 3050 work with Oculus Link? While the supported CPU and graphics cards might change over time as Meta updates the software, here is what you need to run an Oculus Link connection right now:

• CPU: Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or greater
• Memory: 8GB or more
• Operating system: Windows 10 or higher
• Graphics Card – the following graphics cards are supported:
• NVIDIA Titan X
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Super
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 TI
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20-series
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series
• AMD 400 Series
• AMD 500 Series
• AMD 5000 Series
• AMD 6000 Series (except the Radeon RX 6500)
• AMD Vega Series
• Graphics Cards – the following cards are not supported at this time:

• NVIDIA  3050ti
• NVIDIA 3050 (laptop) 
• NVIDIA Titan Z
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Desktop
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060M
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
• AMD 200 Series
• AMD 300 Series

Do I need the Oculus app for Oculus Link?

You don't need the Meta Quest app on a mobile device, but in order to use Oculus Link with your PC, you do need to install and set up the Windows desktop Oculus app. When you enable Oculus Link, the app communicates with your headset.