Oculus Quest 2 really is an excellent piece of technology. Just strap on the headset, turn it on and enjoy the wonders of virtual reality in standalone mode without any additional equipment needed.
How to Connect Oculus Quest 2 to Ph...
But then when you want some extra “oomph” and access to a larger selection of VR titles, you can easily connect the Quest 2 with your PC and turn it into a PC VR headset. If your PC can handle VR gaming, that is.
In this article, I am going to give an overview of the system requirements needed to enjoy PC VR gaming with your Oculus Quest 2 headset. Later in the article, you will also find performance data from real users and their respective PC specifications.
Let does get started!
System Requirements for Oculus Link / Air Link
The primary way to utilize the PC VR capabilities of your Oculus Quest 2 headset is using either Oculus Link (wired with a USB cable) or Oculus Air Link (wireless).
The main difference between the two is that for Oculus Link you will need a high-quality USB 3 cable to establish the connection between your headset and PC. Oculus Air Link on the other hand is wireless, but requires a decent router to provide a stable network connection between the headset and your PC.
The official PC requirementsare the same for both Oculus Link and Air Link:
| Component | Recommended Specs |
| Processor | Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or greater |
| Memory | 8 GB+ RAM |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| USB Ports | 1x USB port |
Oculus Link Supported GPU-s
| GPU | Supported | Not Currently Supported |
| NVIDIA | ||
| NVIDIA Titan Z | X | |
| NVIDIA Titan X | X | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 | X | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Desktop, 3GB | X | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Desktop, 6GB | X | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060M | X | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070(all) | X | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080(all) | X | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | X | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Super | X | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 | X | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 TI | X | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20-series (all) | X | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series (all) | X | |
| AMD 200 Series | X | |
| AMD 300 Series | X | |
| AMD 400 Series | X | |
| AMD 5000 Series | X | |
| AMD 6000 Series | X | |
| AMD Vega Series | X |
Recommended Specifications
The system requirements in the previous tables range from low to high and do not give any indication about the performance you might expect from your setup.
It seems that for this specific reason, Oculus has also listed optimal requirements for Oculus (Air) Link in their support manuals:
- CPU: Intel Core-i7-9700K or comparable AMD
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 or comparable AMD GPU
- Storage: Ranging from 50GB to 340GB
- Wi-Fi: At least 8mbps
Edit (March 2022): Oculus seems to have now removed this specific support document.
If your PC specifications are in the same ballpark, you can be pretty sure that essentially any VR game will install and run properly on your computer.
Half-Life: Alyx – Performance Data from Actual Users
To give you a further understanding of the performance you can expect with certain PC specifications, I have taken the time to gather performance data from actual users that have played Half-Life: Alyx and described their experience.
Why Half-Life: Alyx you might ask? Well, first of all, it is one of the best and also most popular titles released for VR gaming. In my mind, it’s a “must try” game for anyone getting their hands wet in the world of virtual reality.
Secondly, it is quite demanding when it comes to PC specifications. A general rule of thumb here might be that If you can run Half-Life: Alyx, you can very likely also run other VR titles (except for maybe flight simulators and only a few others games).
Things to keep in mind about the data:
- These are users` subjective descriptions of the their performance and overall experience with Half-Life: Alyx gathered from different forums, Reddit threads and Youtube videos.
- People have different views – a “good performance” for one person could be “unplayable” for another.
- Sometimes it is unknown whether the PC is a desktop or a laptop. Also keep in mind that some GPU-s in the list that have the same model name can actually come in different specifications (memory, etc)
- The same hardware on a different PC setup can perform differently (depending on power output, thermal implementation etc)
- Oftentimes, performance issues for Oculus Link as well as Air Link can be solved by tweaking your overall setup and/or configuration. Click on the links to read my troubleshooting guides.
Nevertheless, here are the different PC specifications and the performance people have had playing Half-Life: Alyx with their Quest 2 headset:
| PC Specifications | Performance |
| My Setup: * AMD Ryzen 5 5600H * NVidia Geforce RTX 3060 * 16 GB RAM | Gaming laptop, 90Hz Refresh Rate, and 1.3x render resolution with Oculus Quest 2 (using Air Link) on medium settings. Runs perfectly well! If you are interested, you can watch my video about the full setup (including the router) and the kind of performance (latency, real-time bitrate) I am getting. |
| * Intel® Core™ i7-9700K * AMD Radeon™ RX 580 8GB * 16GB RAM | Work great on a mix of low and medium settings. |
| * AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900X * NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 * 32GB RAM | Runs fine on ultra settings. |
| * Intel® Core™ i5 2nd Gen * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB * 8 GB DDR3 RAM | Occasional lagging and frame drops but playable at low settings (after following online manuals and tweaking the settings) |
| * AMD Ryzen™ 5 3600 * NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 * 16GB RAM | The image is on the blurry side. Works fine eventually, but after a while becomes laggy and glitchy. |
| * Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10750H * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti * 24GB RAM | Laptop user. The game runs decently, but hands and weapons are blurry and text on objects (e.g books) is horrendous. |
| * Intel® Core™ i5-4590 * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 * 24GB RAM | Playable with the lowest settings and when resolution is turned down. |
| * Intel® Core™ i5-4600 * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 * 8GB RAM | The game runs but is unplayable (vomit-inducing), |
| * Intel® Core™ i5-(?) * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 * 16GB RAM | Very playable. |
| * AMD Ryzen 5 1600 * NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1650 Super * 16 GB of DDR4 2666 MHz | Lowered resolution (1400x1400x per eye), low settings. Got 60+ fps with intermittent lag spikes. |
| * AMD Ryzen™ 5 2600X * NVIDIA Geforce RTX 2060 * 16GB RAM | The game runs perfectly on low to medium settings. |
| * AMD Ryzen™ 5 2600 * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti * 16GB RAM | Runs without problems on low fidelity settings. |
| * Intel Core i7-9700 * NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super * 16GB RAM | 90Hz refresh rate, VR graphics set high in Virtual Desktop. Runs well. |
| * AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900X * Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 * 32 GB RAM | Maxed out with Air Link. |
| * AMD Ryzen™ 5 3600 * NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 * 16GB RAM | Generally runs well, but looks blurry to the user. Occasional lag spikes and crashes occuring. |
| * Intel® Core™ i7-8700 * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB * 16GB RAM | Game is lagging and unplayable for the user. |
| * Intel® Core™ i7-8700 * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB * 16GB RAM | Playable at low settings. |
| * Intel® Core™ i7-8700 * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB * 16GB RAM | 65+ FPS at medium settings. Very playable. |
| * AMD Ryzen™ 5 2600x * AMD Radeon™ RX 580 8GB * 16GB DDR4 | Low settings, 60+ FPS average. Playable. |
| * AMD Ryzen 5 5600X * NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 * 16GB RAM | 90 FPS with Quest 2 on “High” settings. Intermittent frame drops occuring. |
| * Intel Core i7 10700 * NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 * 32GB RAM | Runs incredible, looks amazing. |
| * Intel® Core™ i9-10900K * NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 * 32GB RAM | Runs well on Ultra settings. |
| * Intel® Core™ i9-9900K * NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti * 32GB RAM | Runs incredibly well on high settings. |
The performance list above shouldn’t be used as a go-to guide for estimating the performance you might get from specific hardware. However, when you aggregate all the data together, you can get a pretty good idea of what kind of PC is needed to run PC VR on Oculus Quest 2 properly.
I hope this article was useful and helped you understand the kind of PC specifications required for PC VR gaming and whether your computer could run PC VR properly with Oculus Quest 2 headset.
HARDWARE USED FOR TESTING AND WRITING THE ARTICLES:
* Meta Quest 2 (My “daily driver” headset, which I absolutely love & recommend)
* Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060, 16GB RAM)
* TP-Link Archer C6 (budget dedicated router for Air Link, see my full setup tutorial)
ESSENTIAL QUEST 2 COMFORT ACCESSORIES:
* VR Cover Foam Replacement (one of the easiest & cheapest ways to improve headset comfort)
* BoboVR M2 Head Strap (reduce pressure on your head and improve the overall fit of the headset)
FAQs
What are the requirements to run Oculus Quest 2 on PC? ›
- CPU: Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or greater.
- RAM: 8 GB.
- VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 / AMD Radeon 400 Series or better.
- DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 3 GB.
- PIXEL SHADER: 5.1.
- VERTEX SHADER: 5.1.
- OS: Windows 10.
These include a minimum CPU equivalent to an Intel Core i5-4590, a minimum graphics card equivalent to an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, and a minimum of 8GB of RAM. Oculus Quest 2 will run on PC system with Windows 10 and upwards.
How powerful of a PC do I need for Oculus Quest 2? ›The Oculus Quest 2 (aka Meta Quest 2) supports Oculus Link, but you will need one of the best gaming desktop PCs for optimal results. Meta recommends at least a 4th Gen Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X CPU, 8GB of RAM, and modern GPU from NVIDIA or AMD.
How do I increase my performance in Quest 2 PC? ›- Open the Oculus Desktop app on your computer.
- Click Devices on the left side of the app.
- Click Quest 2 or Quest Pro.
- Scroll down to Graphics Preferences.
- Here, you can adjust your Refresh Rate and Render Resolution.
Using The Desktop App
Users should load into the game as long as their PC is up to spec. Users can also physically connect a USB-C cable to link the Quest 2 to a PC, which provides a stable connection when playing games. Just be sure to purchase a lengthy lead, as most VR games require a lot of space.
We're always happy to help. All games in the Oculus Quest store (the one accessed via the headset when it's standalone) can be played without a PC.
What graphics card is compatible with Oculus Quest 2? ›- Processor: Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or better.
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or AMD 500 Series and higher.
- Memory: 8GB.
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10.
- USB Ports: 1x USB port.
Currently, the graphics cards compatible with Oculus Link are: NVIDIA Titan X. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970. Desktop NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060.
How do I know if my PC is VR Ready? ›- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD R9 290 equivalent or greater.
- CPU: Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater.
- RAM: 8GB+
- Video Output Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output.
- USB Ports 3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 port.
- OS Windows 7 SP1 64 bit or newer.
The Oculus Quest 2 utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 platform and 6GB of RAM for improved performance and next-gen graphics. 256GB of storage capacity allows you to save games and apps.
Do you need a strong PC to run VR? ›
Often, you have to work with a cable to use a VR headset with the computer. You also need a gaming PC with at least one NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 video card or a similar one. In addition, the PC must have at least 8GB RAM, an Intel Core i5 processor, and enough USB ports.
Is Quest 2 worth it without a gaming PC? ›There are heaps of games (like all the ones we've listed so far) that you can play on the Meta Quest 2 without needing a PC at all. This makes the Quest an ideal headset to start your VR journey with, especially since it's at the more affordable end of the market. Much less expensive than buying a PC and a headset.
Why is my virtual desktop so laggy? ›Check Your Internet Connection
Often, when your VD starts stuttering, a bad network is the main culprit. So before you give a test drive to anything else, the best and quickest hack to fix your laggy virtual desktop is checking your network status first. Ensure your network is in full range.
Virtual Desktop supports 120Hz which means that you can play PCVR games while making the most of that refresh rate. So this opens up games on Steam as well as the Quest store.
Can you connect Quest 2 to TV? ›When you tap on the symbol, it should automatically connect to your Oculus Quest 2 headset. It will appear in the "Cast From" section of the app. If your TV or other casting device isn't appearing, you can tap the button to search for other devices, and as long as it is enabled, it should appear.
Can I play Steam games on Oculus Quest 2? ›You most certainly can if you have the right PC and go through the setup options. You have a few choices when it comes to how to play Steam games on Quest 2 VR. Some of them will be free, and some will require the purchase of a cable or software.
Is Virtual Desktop free on Quest 2? ›Download Virtual Desktop Streamer
It's free, and made by the same folks who made the Virtual Desktop app you purchased on the Quest or Quest 2. This app is necessary for streaming PC content to your headset via Wi-Fi.
Luckily, there are currently numerous apps and games that you can enjoy on both headsets, and the good news is that they're free.
Can you use Oculus Quest 2 full body without PC? ›Every time when we were asked if SlimeVR would work with VRChat on Quest 2 without PC, our answer was always the same: VRChat itself doesn't support Full-Body Tracking on Quest, so SlimeVR couldn't support it either.
Can I play Quest 2 games without Internet? ›As with any good gaming console, the Oculus Quest and Meta Quest 2 headsets are intended to work without a Wi-Fi connection.
Does graphics card matter for Oculus Quest 2? ›
Getting started with Oculus Quest 2 games
You need at least an Intel i5-4590 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X processor, 8GB or more of RAM, and a supported graphics card. The platform supports most Nvidia and AMD GPUs, but not all of them.
The third-most important part to consider is RAM. The recommended onboard RAM for most games and VR headsets continues to hover around 8GB. The general consensus online seems to match the advice given by the VR developers, that 8GB will be sufficient for now.
What kind of graphics card do I need for VR? ›Video Card (GPU)
NVIDIA's GeForce RTX series of consumer graphics cards is our top recommendation for virtual reality. Anything mid-range or above, like the RTX 3060 Ti, will do nicely. If you are using VR with a professional application like Autodesk Revit, then NVIDIA's RTX A-series is also a solid option.
The graphics card is the key piece of hardware, though. If you have an older video card, for use with the Index, original Vive, or Rift (and the Rift S), you'll really want at least a GeForce GTX 1060 card from Nvidia, or a Radeon RX 580, Radeon RX 590, or Radeon RX Vega card from AMD.
What hardware do you need for Oculus? ›Oculus Rift CV1 Recommended VR Specifications:
CPU: Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or greater. Memory: 8GB RAM or greater. Video Output: Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output. USB Ports: 3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 port.
Best High-Resolution VR Headset
If 'resolution' is your buzzword of choice, the Vive Pro 2 is the one for you. With a resolution of 2,448 x 2,448 per eye, the HTC Vive Pro 2 will let you forget all about the screen-door effect, but you'll need a powerful PC to run it.
- CPU – Intel i5-4590, AMD FX 8350 equivalents or greater.
- RAM – Minimum 4GB – 8GB or more is preferred. ...
- Video/Graphics card – NVIDIA GTX 1060, AMD Radeon RX 480, equivalent or greater. ...
- Operating System – Windows 10 is strongly preferred, although most companies still support WIN 7 or WIN 8.1.
It depends on why your pc isn't vr ready. If the cpu isn't fast enough, it may run, but slower (which can make people sick). But if the cpu is too old, the installer will fail to run (it had some limits built in). If the graphics card isn't fast enough, same as for the cpu (run slow and maybe make you sick).
Are laptops good for VR? ›Unfortunately, the average consumer laptop is not suited to the requirements of virtual reality—chances are, it doesn't have a sufficiently potent graphics processing unit (GPU), or it has an HDMI port for an external monitor when most VR headsets dictate a DisplayPort connector instead.
Is Oculus Quest 128GB worth it? ›Bottom line. If you're about to buy an Oculus Quest 2, there's a strong chance you'll be fine with the starting $299 model. Its 128GB of storage gives you tons of space for apps and games, and in the event you need to delete some stuff, the Quest makes it easy to back your saves up.
Is there an Oculus Quest 3? ›
Meta's Oculus Quest 3 is officially dropping. The new headset takes the VR focus away from gaming and places it on productivity with mixed reality tools for work. And we're already hearing more about the upcoming Oculus Quest 3 – the follow-up to the current Quest 2.
How many games will 128GB Oculus hold? ›With enough space to comfortably fit at least 30 games at a time, the 128GB Quest 2 is an excellent choice for anyone looking to get the best-priced version of Meta's latest VR headset.
What specs do you need to run VR on PC? ›- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GTX 1070 equivalent or greater.
- CPU: Intel i7-6700 equivalent or greater.
- Memory: 16GB+ RAM.
- Video Output: Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output.
- USB: Ports 3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 port*
- OS: Windows 8 SP1 64 bit or newer.
No. There are no subscription fees associated with owning a Meta Quest 2. However, some games employ a subscription-based method of payment. There's no additional cost of ownership if you choose not to purchase games/Apps (besides electricity, Wifi, and potentially, repair).
Can you watch Netflix on Meta Quest 2? ›Netflix is available on the Quest, Quest 2, and Meta Quest Pro headsets. Netflix is available on supported devices in all regions where Netflix is available. Browse rows of movie posters or press Search to find TV shows or movies. Watch TV shows and movies in 480p resolution.
Is Quest 2 worth buying? ›From Meta's robust built-in app store to the many great PC-based experiences available through Quest Link, the selection of apps and games is one of the best you'll find on any VR headset. The $400 starting price, while more expensive than before, makes this the most approachable high-quality VR headset on the market.
Why does Oculus say my PC doesn't meet the requirements? ›Just because you've got a good graphics card doesn't mean you can run vr. You need a minimum of 8gb of ram, a core i5 4590 or ryzen 5 1500x for a processor, and windows 10. You also need compatible ports.
Does my PC meet Oculus link requirements? ›To be able to run the Oculus Link, your computer needs to have a Windows 10 Operating System and have at least 8 GB of RAM. Your processor must be at least an Intel i5–4590 or an AMD Ryzen 5 1500X.
Why won t my Oculus 2 connect to my PC? ›The problem might be caused due to USB cable or port. So, do check your USB port and cable and make sure all the connections are proper and secure. In case your Oculus app is not updated, you are likely to face the issue at hand. Hence, if the scenario is applicable, update your Oculus app.
Can my PC run Oculus? ›...
Oculus Rift S and Rift minimum requirements and system specifications.
| Component | Recommended Specs | Minimum Specs |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10+ | Windows 10+ |
| USB Ports | 1x USB 3.0 ports | 1x USB 3.0 port |