The popularity of virtual reality increased with the release of Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. These headphones had to be connected to a computer, which left potential buyers wondering if the Oculus Quest 2 you also need a PC to play. The answer to this question is actually more complicated than expected.
Does Oculus Quest 2 need to be connected to a computer?
Oculus Quest 2 is a standalone device. Unlike the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive series headsets, a PC is not required. The only other device that users need is a smartphone, but it is only really necessary when users turn it on for the first time.
The Quest 2 has an internal Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 system on a chip with 6GB of RAM and an Adreno 650 GPU, enough to run an impressive variety of games. Players can download games and apps designed specifically for Oculus Quest 2 from the Oculus Store or side loaders. These are done entirely through the headset.
While Oculus Quest 2 doesn’t need to be connected to a PC to run games and applications, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to. The Quest 2 can be used as a full-featured PC virtual reality viewer via the Oculus Link feature. Users can connect the headset to a computer via a USB-C (or USB-A to USB-C) cable or WiFi and play Steam games and the PC version of the Oculus Store. Games played through Oculus Link on a high-end PC are typically superior to native versions of Quest 2, and all features, including inside-out tracking, work well.
Oculus Rift 2 is one of today’s most versatile virtual reality headsets. Regardless of whether players want to use it alone or connected to a PC, it is our currently recommended HMD.
