Quest 2 Setup Guide - 2022

Getting Started with the Quest 2

Estimated time required: 30 minutes.

To setup your Quest 2 headset for the first time, you'll need access to an iPhone or Android Device, a Facebook account, a USB-C cable (should be included with your Quest), and a wifi connection. 

Instructions:

4. For more detailed instructions, visit the official Oculus Quest 2 setup guide or watch this video.

* If you don't want to use your personal Meta account, feel free to create a new one. 

Running SteamVR Games with the Quest 2

Estimated time required: 30-50 minutes.

While the Oculus Quest 2 can be used in standalone mode (i.e. without connecting the headset to a computer), only games listed on the Quest store can be played in this mode. Over the course of the semester, you'll likely want to test applications that are listed on the Oculus Rift store or Steam VR store, as these platforms support a broader suite of applications. To run Steam VR / Oculus Rift games on your headset, there are two options.  We will use the first one in class.  But if you have your own local windows machine, you can use the second option.  

1. Power your headset using Virtual Desktop and a Remote Computer (do this if you don't have a local windows machine):

If you don't have access to a computer that supports Oculus Link or you don't have an Oculus Link cable, you can still run SteamVR games using Virtual Desktop and a remote computer that does support Oculus Link.  To do this, you'll need to purchase a copy of Virtual Desktop on the Oculus Quest store.

At this point, we'll assume that you have access to a compatible remote computer -- which could be your personal computer satisfying or a remote server on Paperspace -- and have access to Virtual Desktop. To set up Virtual Desktop, perform the following steps:

2.1. Setting Up Paperspace (optional if you have a compatible windows machine)

5. Then, select one of the available machines and hit launch:  

Before doing this, make sure that the top left menu says "CORE"

6. Once launched, open Steam and install SteamVR -- if it's not installed already. 

7. Launch the Virtual Desktop Streamer on your remote computer. At this point, the following warning might show up on your paperspace machine. Make sure NOT to download the new windows version. Otherwise, please disregard this warning. 

8. Enter your Oculus username (which is given to you in the VR Desktop app on your Oculus), and ensure that the Allow remote connections box is checked: 

 WARNING: Be sure to shutdown your server once you're done using it! This helps reduce costs and allows other students to use the server. 

2.2. Setting Up Virtual Desktop 

2.3. Testing Performance

At this point, you should be able to play SteamVR games on your Quest headset! To test this functionality, perform the following steps:

2. Then, launch Virtual Desktop on your Quest headset and wait for your remote computer to appear. 

3. Click on your remote computer to connect to it and wait until you're connected. If your remote computer does not appear, try quitting Virtual Desktop on Quest and opening it again. 

4. Once connected, launch StreamVR from your headset by clicking the hamburger menu on your left controller and selecting the Launch SteamVR button on the bottom left of the screen:

5. Once SteamVR is launched, you should be able to see all of your SteamVR games under the GAMES section of the Virtual Desktop screen:

Potential Issues

2. Power your headset using Oculus Link and a local windows machine (optional for class):

Requirements: a high-bandwidth USB-C to USB-C (or USB-3) cable that's at least 10 feet in length and a computer running Windows 10 with a sufficiently powerful graphics card (see here for the required specs). The cable can be purchased either from Amazon or directly from Oculus.

To setup your Quest using Oculus Link:

Once Oculus Link is setup, you can run SteamVR games by performing the following steps: