The Quest 2 is an amazing all-in-one VR headset. It works without needing anything else, not even a PC – it has its own operating system, its own store with apps and games, that it runs natively.
But since the Quest 2 is an Android-based device, and nowhere near as powerful as a gaming computer, it can't natively play most big-budget triple-A games, like Half-Life: Alyx, Skyrim VR, Fallout 4 VR and so on.
In order to play those Steam games on your Quest 2, you'll need to know how to connect your headset with your PC.
Here we'll teach you exactly how to do that, so you can start playing Steam games on your Quest 2.
First and foremost, you'll need to check the system requirements of the SteamVR games you plan on playing. Your PC needs to meet those for you to have a good virtual reality experience.
Every Steam game has a minimum and recommended specs list on its page, under "System requirements" (which is right under the game's description).
For example, a popular SteamVR game – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR – has the following recommended system requirements:
OS: Windows 10 or 11
Processor: Intel Core i7-4790 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
Note that running games in virtual reality is taxing on your PC. A PC has to do over twice the work to get a game like Skyrim VR running smoothly, as it does running it in traditional 2D. So once again, be sure that your computer meets the minimum requirements, at the very least, in order to be sure that you'll get good performance, and an enjoyable time in VR.
Installing Steam and SteamVR, as well as the Oculus app
If your PC meets the minimum requirements, you can proceed with the next step: You'll need the following apps running on your PC, in order for your Quest 2 to connect with it, and be able to play SteamVR games:
The Oculus app (available here under "Air Link and Link Cable")
Downloading and setting up those apps is pretty straightforward. The Oculus app in particular will require you to do a quick set up, if you haven't done it already, and should be ready to pair with your Quest 2 afterwards.
Once you have those apps installed on your PC, as well as the Steam games you actually plan on playing through your Quest 2, you can proceed to connect your headset with your PC…
Understanding SteamVR, Oculus Link and Virtual Desktop, and connecting your Quest 2 to your PC
What's SteamVR? Well, it's Valve's framework for virtual reality games. For you as a consumer, this is just a required, free Steam app that you'll need to install, before you can play Steam games in VR, with or without the Quest 2.
What's Oculus Link? This is the Quest 2's framework for connecting to a computer. Once you have the Oculus app running on your PC, and it and your Quest 2 are on the same Wi-Fi network, you can put on your Quest 2, click the clock (bottom left on the main taskbar), then click "Quest Link" to connect to your PC. This connection can either be fully wireless, via Wi-Fi (recommended – simpler and cheaper), or via an Oculus Link cable, which is expensive and sold separately.
What's Virtual Desktop? That's an alternative method you can use to connect your Quest 2 with your PC. It's a $20 app available on the Quest 2 app store, and it works very similarly to wireless Quest Link (a.k.a. AirLink). Virtual Desktop is particularly useful if you plan on playing non-VR Steam games on your Quest 2.
Time to play SteamVR games on your Quest 2
Once you have your Quest 2 connected to your PC via one of the above ways (Quest Link is recommended, as the simplest), you should start seeing the SteamVR homescreen.
It's a black void with a grid pattern on the floor. You can now use your Quest 2 controllers to launch a SteamVR game, and play it on your Quest 2. Press the Oculus button on your right Quest 2 to open the SteamVR settings menu at any time.
You can also launch your Steam virtual reality games from your PC, and then put on your Quest 2 headset, if that's more convenient.
Troubleshooting, questions and answers
How to fix connection and latency problems
If you're noticing latency or connectivity issues, you're likely using AirLink (wireless Oculus Link), which is reliant on the speed of your Wi-Fi connection.
An optimal setup would be to have your internet router reasonably close, and your PC plugged into an ethernet, which is faster than Wi-Fi.
If that doesn't help, and you're unable to switch for a faster Wi-Fi connection, you can purchase the Oculus Link cable, which serves as a wired connection between your Quest 2 and your PC, overriding the need for fast Wi-Fi.
Be advised, however, that the Oculus Link cable is pretty expensive for what it is ($80), and you may want to look into alternative cables that offer the same functionality. There are plenty of third-party Oculus Link cables, just be sure to read the reviews, and make sure you get a good one, as some could be of poor quality.
In any case, once you switch to a wired connection, those latency issues should disappear.
Unless the latency problem you're having appears to be caused by your PC struggling to perform, which could happen if its specs are below the system requirements for your SteamVR games. In which case, you can try this…
Adjusting the in-game settings for better performance (and the SteamVR resolution)
Every bigger-budget modern game has a settings, or an options menu, where you can adjust the graphics. For virtual reality games in particular, you'll want to lower their resolution, which has the biggest positive impact on performance, albeit makes the image blurrier and less distinct.
That's unfortunately a balancing game you'll need to deal with, if your PC does not meet the system requirements of your VR games.
In addition, SteamVR itself allows you to change your VR resolution. To do that – press the Oculus home button on the right controller while in-game, which would bring up the SteamVR menu.
Press the gear icon (bottom right) to open settings, then navigate to the General menu, where you'll find an option called "Render Resolution Per Eye". Lower that, in order to boost your performance. Afterwards, restart your game to apply your new resolution settings, and in most cases – your performance should be noticeably better.
Avoiding controller mapping and tracking issues
Not all SteamVR games are perfectly adapted for the Oculus Touch controllers. Many SteamVR games prioritize Valve's own Index headset, and its controllers, which may lead to odd or missing functionality when playing with Quest 2 controllers.
Before buying a VR game, make sure that it has been confirmed to work with the Quest 2. We'll tell you how to find Quest 2-compatible SteamVR games next.
In addition, you may want to look into mods, as some SteamVR games do have community modifications available, which make them work with the Quest 2, even if they don't necessarily support it natively.
Finding the best SteamVR games for Oculus Quest 2
The Steam pages for all VR games used to have a list with compatible VR headsets, but Valve eventually made finding Quest 2-compatible games a bit confusing by removing it.
The good news is that these days, pretty much all SteamVR games will work with the Quest 2 out of the box.
Your best bet to learn just how well each SteamVR game works with the Quest 2 is to check the reviews. Since the Quest 2 is the most affordable, and thus widely used headset, there are reviews sharing how well each game works with it under every Steam page.
In addition, we can recommend the following SteamVR games for you, that we've tested to be working with the Quest 2:
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
Fallout 4: VR
Half-Life: Alyx
Pavlov VR
No Man's Sky
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Boneworks
You can see a list of all virtual reality games on Steam's dedicated SteamVR page right here.
Is the Quest 2 compatible with SteamVR?
Yes, the Quest 2 is perfectly compatible with SteamVR, so long as you remember to download and run the Oculus app on your PC, before attempting to use them together.
We've explained the how-to process above, right here.
Can I play all SteamVR games on my Oculus Quest 2?
Yes, these days you can effortlessly play pretty much all SteamVR games on your Quest 2, so long as you have a powerful enough PC, of course.
Rarely do some games lack perfect compatibility with the Quest 2's controllers, so especially for big-budget AAA titles, facing any issues is unlikely.
However, there could still be some outliers that work exclusively with a different headset (e.g. the Valve Index or HTC Vive), so be sure to double-check their descriptions and reviews.
Is it possible to play non-VR Steam games on Oculus Quest 2?
Yes, you can play non-VR Steam games on your Quest 2. People swear by the Quest 2 app Virtual Desktop for that, although you can also simply use the built-in screen mirroring feature of Oculus Link.
Your desktop, and any non-VR Steam game you launch, will be projected on sort of a virtual wall for you in your Quest 2. But do keep in mind that non-VR games will have to be played with a controller, or a keyboard and mouse. You won't be able to use your Oculus Touch controllers for non-VR gaming.
Rado, a tech enthusiast with a love for mobile devices, brings his passion for Android and iPadOS to PhoneArena. His tech journey began with MP3 players and has evolved to include tinkering with Android tablets and iPads, even running Linux and Windows 95 on them. Beyond tech, Rado is a published author, music producer, and PC game developer. His professional work on iPads, from producing songs to editing videos, showcases his belief in their capabilities. Rado looks forward to the future of mobile tech, particularly in augmented reality and multi-screen smartphones.
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