How To Connect Your Meta Quest 2 Headset To Your Xbox

Ever since the release of PlayStation’s VR headset back in 2016, a number of Xbox fans have wondered whether the brand would follow a similar path. Yet, in 2021, Microsoft's gaming CEO, made it clear that there were no plans for creating VR hardware for Xbox.

Developed by Reality Labs, a brand of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook Inc.), Meta Quest 2 is a virtual reality headset that runs games and software wirelessly under an Android-based operating system. In addition to running as a standalone headset, it can be used with Oculus Rift-compatible VR software on a desktop computer. Unveiled in late 2020, Meta Quest 2 is an upgrade from the 2019 Oculus Quest headset, offering a lighter weight, improved per-eye resolution, and longer battery life.  

There are over a hundred games available for Meta Quest 2, including popular titles like Resident Evil 4, Fruit Ninja, Onward, Angry Birds, and Little Cities among numerous others. It’s also possible to play poker online and games like roulette and Blackjack by accessing VR casinos. Such platforms provide realistic poker gameplay, while also giving players the ability to create their own avatars, socialize with others, and move around the virtual space.

There is currently no way to directly connect the Meta Quest 2 headset to an Xbox. This is because there aren’t any Xbox-specific games or apps implemented for virtual reality.

However, during a recent Meta Connect conference, both Meta and Microsoft announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming will come to the Quest platform sometime in 2023. This means that Meta Quest 2 will allow players to directly stream Xbox games and connect with the Xbox controller. The games will come from Xbox’s Game Pass Ultimate library, which players will be able to access through a high-definition VR screen.

How to connect Meta Quest 2 to Xbox

In order to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 2 VR headset, you should follow the step-by-step guide detailed below. Needless to say, to make this work, you’ll need a functioning Xbox and Meta Quest 2 VR headset.

• Enable game streaming on your Xbox if you haven’t already done it.
• Download Meta’s Virtual Desktop application on your PC.
• Enable PC streaming to mirror your Meta Quest 2 and launch the Virtual Desktop app.
• Using the Xbox Companion app, begin to stream your Xbox console.

Because Xbox consoles aren’t VR-optimized, you will simply be mirroring your screen onto your Meta Quest 2. In other words, you will not experience the fully immersive environment typical of virtual reality games and gadgets.