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The Meta Quest 2 is a virtual reality headset by Meta, and was launched in 2020, following the success of the Meta Quest. Also known as Oculus, it is one of the most versatile VR headsets on the market. Being a standalone device with its internal Android operating system, it can integrate with multiple platforms to bring you a crisp virtual reality experience.
VR technology has taken a swift pace over the years and is now widely used for recreation and work purposes. Interacting with people in the virtual world, playing VR-supported games, carrying out training sessions in a simulator, and much more can be done with these special headsets.
The added perspective of virtual presence makes a huge difference in immersive experiences that are often not possible on a flat screen.
The Meta Quest 2 has gained popularity since its release, facing a lot of praise and criticism alike. It can connect to PC systems via the Oculus Rift-compatible VR software, and run your desktop and apps on the headset in VR. Here's how you can connect it to Steam to play VR-supported games.
A guide to connect Meta Quest 2 to Steam for gaming
There is no direct way to run Steam games in the VR headset that users can easily access. However, it is possible to connect the headset to a PC system and run them via a few software tweaks.
Here are the steps to connect the Meta Quest to your PC and play Steam games:
Step 1: First, you have to make sure your PC has the proper specifications that are capable of supporting VR games, and then integrate the same with the Oculus Rift app. The minimum requirements are Intel Core i5 and Ryzen 5 CPUs or higher, with at least 8GB RAM. The recommended GPU systems would be at least equivalent to or higher than the GTX 1060.
Anything lower than that would cause video stutters or frame lags, and a few games might refuse to run at all at times.
Step 2: Proper connectivity of the headset to the PC should be maintained. A USB Type-C cable with a 5 Gbps data transfer speed is recommended. Consequently, the length will be determined by the type of game you wish to play. Some of them require a lot of space and thus a 5m cable can come in handy.
Step 3: Pair your Meta Quest 2 headset with the Meta Oculus app from its official page on the Facebook store. Create or log in to your account to set up your headset.
Step 4: Download and install the Steam VR app from the Steam store, this will help you launch VR games on your PC. You can additionally get the Steam VR Performance test app to test out your system's specifications and capability to run such titles.
Step 5: You can access VR games from both the Oculus app and Steam. The former will have a dashboard listing all the VR games that you can play on it. Steam also has a VR section that will bring up compatible titles. You can browse through the trending games to get started.
Step 6: Connect your Meta Quest 2 to the PC and launch the Oculus app. A pop-up asking to enable the "Oculus link" will appear, which you will have to enable. It will then redirect you to the Rift PC home screen that will show your Oculus games.
Step 7: From the Rift home screen, select the Desktop icon to bring up your PC's desktop. Here, find and launch the SteamVR app via your controller. It helps if you have created a desktop shortcut for the app.
Step 8: If prompted with a message saying that apps from "unknown sources" are not allowed to run, simply go to the Meta Quest 2 app's settings. Under the General section, enable the Unknown Sources option to allow apps to run on the headset.
SteamVR will then be added to your app list in Oculus. If it's not, you can add it by enabling Unknown Sources in the Filter as well.
Step 9: Open the SteamVR home screen from the Meta Quest 2 to find your purchased VR games and launch them to enjoy immersive gameplay.
Connecting the Meta Quest 2 to Steam requires only a few easy steps but enable you to experience the thrills and horrors of the VR gaming world up close. Virtual reality titles are up for grabs in the Oculus app as well as in SteamVR. It is advised to get your hardware sorted out before trying to play using the headset.
The Oculus provides cable-testing features and Steam has VR testing apps for your PC. You can go through them to check your system and hardware's compatibility before diving into the virtual world. You can buy the Meta Quest 2 from Amazon (for US and international customers).
