Oculus is happy to introduce a new feature that would help stop cables from getting tangled on your feet, reduce the iconic VR sickness experience and improve overall gaming performance! The Air Link feature will now run your VR titles from PC without the wired connections!
Since last month, gamereactor noted that Oculus has been experimenting on the wireless gaming experience and improved gameplay up to 120Hz refresh rates. However, Oculus never announced a date when these features would go live. In these last few days, the recent v29 update from Oculus brought in a big surprise with the Oculus Quest 2 wireless connection called Air Link.
The Oculus Quest 2 Update
Oculus officially launched its Air Link wireless feature on April 13. Up to date, the Air Link feature remains under the experimental feature tab. However, Reddit users have commented that it "works well" if you have the right gaming computer to run its systems.
Also, the update features 120 Hz refresh rates. This is a big deal, especially for people experiencing VR sickness. A higher refresh rate means smoother visual performance and a better immersive experience. Objectively, 120 Hz should greatly reduce the eye strain symptoms that people experience from VR sickness. However, this does not always hold true for all gamers.
How to Set Up Air Link
Setting up your wireless gaming experience requires a few steps. First, you need an Oculus Quest 2 device because Quest 1 is unfortunately not compatible with Air Link. Next, you need to load up your computer and the game library you plan to play. Finally, be sure that your computer is capable of running the Air Link.
YouTuber Virtual Reality Oasis suggests using a processor like Intel i5 4590, AMD Ryzen 5 1500X, or higher. You also need at least 8 GB of free RAM and a USB port. Lastly, your computer must be running on Windows 10.
The set up takes two major steps. The connection between your Oculus Quest 2 to PC, and optimizing the system performance of your Oculus Quest 2
First off, you need to download the Oculus App and open it on your computer. On the "Devices" bar, select the "Oculus Quest 2." Also, head to the "Beta" tab. Scroll down and toggle on the "Air Link" connection. You will have to repeat this process every time you turn on your PC.
Now, you should customize your Oculus Quest 2. Go to "Graphics Preference." Change the "Refresh Rate" option by dragging the bar to 120Hz. Click "OK" to confirm. These should put your favorite games at a higher and smoother performance. However, there are some instances where the computer quickly eats up the battery for processing. If your PC has problems loading the graphics, better to switch it lower.
One final note: your Oculus gaming experience would be greatly affected by your internet connection. It is suggested that you pair it up with a 5G WiFi connection for the best performance.
