Valve extends Steam Link VR to other VR glasses
Good news for PC VR fans: Steam Link is now also available for HTC and Pico devices, and Meta is integrating its PC VR store into the Quest interface.
Steam Link facilitates PC VR streaming on stand-alone headsets.
(Image: Valve)
With Steam Link VR, both VR titles and classic PC games can be streamed directly via Steam to supported standalone VR glasses. The free app was released at the end of 2023 for all current Quest devices. Almost two years later, it is now also available for Pico and HTC headsets. Pico Neo 3, Pico 4, Pico 4 Ultra, and HTC Vive Focus are supported. Support for HTC Vive XR Elite will follow later this year.
Valve also promises an interface for Steam Link in the announcement: with the “Steam Link APK,” other VR headset manufacturers will be able to check the compatibility of their headsets with Steam Link. This should also give users the opportunity to try out Steam Link on previously unsupported devices.
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In addition to Steam Link, Meta Quest offers other options for streaming PC content to the headset, including the paid Virtual Desktop and Meta's own free solution, Meta Quest Link. You can find more information on PC VR streaming in our comprehensive guide.
Better late than never: Meta standardizes PC VR experience
There is also good news for users who use PC VR on Meta Quest: In the latest test version of the upcoming OS update, apps from Meta's PC VR store now appear directly in the Quest's app library, provided the headset has been connected to the PC and both devices use the same network. The PC VR apps are therefore highlighted. The PC VR user interface from the Oculus Rift era is no longer required. This standardizes and improves the user experience.
Meta is late with this innovation: according to the company, a “standardized system experience” across standalone use and PC VR should have been introduced in 2021. There is also a downer: the app library can only be used to access VR games from Meta's PC VR Store and not the much more extensive Steam Store, which offers exclusive titles such as Valve's “Half-Life: Alyx.”
Speaking of Valve, according to rumors, the company could soon announce a new VR headset called “Steam Frame.” We have compiled all the latest information on Steam Frame.
(emw)
