{"id":1666,"date":"2022-10-06T22:01:33","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T22:01:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vrlowdown.com\/?p=1666"},"modified":"2022-10-06T22:05:54","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T22:05:54","slug":"air-link-vs-virtual-desktop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vrlowdown.com\/air-link-vs-virtual-desktop\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Link Vs Virtual Desktop: Which Is Best For Wireless VR?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
There are now several options to allow you to play PC VR content completely wirelessly. Air Link is the official option from Meta that has now been implemented for all Quest 2 users, and Virtual Desktop is a third-party application that allows you to do the same thing, with some additional functionality. This article is going to look at all the pros and cons of Airlink vs Virtual Desktop, to find out which is the best option for wireless PC VR on your Meta Quest 2, and other standalone headsets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Air Link is simple to use, free, and works well on Quest 2 if you have the right setup. Virtual Desktop has more features and slightly better performance but is a paid product. Most people should try Air Link first, and move to Virtual Desktop if better performance or specific features are needed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Both Air Link and Virtual Desktop are options that allow you to experience PC VR content without being physically tethered to a VR-ready PC with a cable. They both have a number of pros and cons, and your choice will depend on your individual setup and priorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Both these options mean that you don’t need to worry about getting tangled up while using a physical cable to connect your headset to a PC. It’s got to the point where I almost never use the Link cable because the quality of wireless PC VR has become sufficiently good, and any drawbacks are outweighed by the pleasure of being able to play without having a cable getting in the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, wireless PC VR solutions have become so good that the Quest 2 is now my preferred PC VR headset, and I prefer using it over my wired Reverb G2, simply because I have the freedom of having no wires. Now that Meta has their own wireless PC VR functionality and is offering it for free, it does raise the question of whether it is still worth paying for Virtual Desktop. <\/p>\n\n\n Whilst both options really are excellent, there are big differences in the experiences of using Air Link and Virtual Desktop, as well as differences in how they actually work.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAir Link Vs Virtual Desktop For PC VR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pros And Cons Of Air Link<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pros of Air Link<\/strong><\/td> Cons Of Air Link<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> Integrated into Quest 2 software<\/td> Tied into the Oculus ecosystem<\/td><\/tr> Really easy to use<\/td> No access to the headset options or interface while in use<\/td><\/tr> Free<\/td> Fewer options to adjust performance<\/td><\/tr> Works for all PC VR games, not just Oculus store content<\/td> Harder to take screenshots and videos<\/td><\/tr> Easy to adjust settings to balance latency and picture quality<\/td> Lacks some features that Virtual Desktop has<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Pros And Cons Of Virtual Desktop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pros Of Virtual Desktop<\/strong><\/td> Cons Of Virtual Desktop<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> Can launch all VR games from one dashboard<\/td> Costs Money<\/td><\/tr> Great User Interface and highly customizable<\/td> Breaks controllers support for some games<\/td><\/tr> Slightly better performance for some people<\/td> Can cause performance issues in some games<\/td><\/tr> Active Discord for technical support and news<\/td> More difficult to setup<\/td><\/tr> Retains access to Quest 2 headset settings while in use<\/td> You need to start the streamer app every time on your computer<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Should You Use Air Link Or Virtual Desktop?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Case For Air Link<\/h3>\n\n\n\n