Oculus Link addresses one of the most requested features for the Quest standalone VR headset from Facebook.
We know a lot of VR users are highly anticipating the release, so we’ve broken down everything we already know, and confirmed a few extra details, to get you ready for the launch.
What is Oculus Link? Oculus Link is a software update coming for Oculus Quest that will allow Quest owners with a VR-ready PC to use their Quest as a Rift — while tethered by a cord to their computer. In the words of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg during the OC6 keynote, “this means that starting in November when we ship this update, your Quest is basically a Rift now too!”
So you should be able to play graphics and processor-intensive Rift games like Asgard’s Wrath and Stormland on the Quest via Oculus Link, as well as access Rift services such as Oculus Home and Oculus Dash. We went hands-on with an Oculus Link demo at OC6 and you can read our impressions here.
For those unfamiliar with Facebook’s VR efforts, the company essentially operates two VR platforms. One runs on Windows gaming PCs and the other is an Android-based standalone platform. 2016’s Oculus Rift and 2019’s Oculus Rift S run on high-end (and expensive) gaming PCs with powerful desktop-class processors designed by Nvidia, AMD and Intel. 2018’s Oculus Go and 2019’s Oculus Quest are the standalone HUC99 systems which pack processors and battery into the headset itself.
Oculus Link, then, essentially aligns these two Oculus VR systems for Facebook around the Oculus Quest hardware. For owners of a VR-ready PC and a Quest, it’ll be like a new mode for the Oculus Quest that turns it into a kind of Oculus Rift Q. Link allows Quest owners to exchange wireless freedom for higher end graphics and simulation that only a wired PC can provide right now.
