Virtual reality may be one step closer to becoming the next big thing in our lives like where smartphones are now today. Though it is still in the nascent stages of its development, VR today is far more advanced than it was 2 years ago.
With Meta (Facebook) betting big on Metaverse, it had introduced Oculus Quest 2 . This made VR more accessible as well as impressive to virtual reality fans. There is definitely a lot of interest in VR games and experiences. People now like to catch their favorite streamers on Twitch playing VR or even follow streamers who stream VR content.
In this article, we will cover how to stream Oculus Meta Quest 2 to Twitch, YouTube with or without a PC. We will also discuss why streaming VR on Twitch is becoming so popular nowadays.
Lets dive in first to understand what is Oculus Quest 2 and its origin.
What is Oculus Quest 2 or Meta Quest 2?
Oculus 2, also known as Meta Quest 2, is a virtual reality (VR) headset. It is the successor of Oculus Quest created by Facebook Technologies LLC.
It provides an impressive virtual reality experience with the possibility to use Oculus Quest 2 for gaming, streaming, fitness, entertainment, and socializing. Meta wants people to join the metaverse, hence they are providing a comparatively affordable entry price to its hardware.
Oculus Quest 2 Details and Specs
- Oculus Quest 2 Launch date:- 16th September 2020
- Oculus Quest 2 Launch event:- “Facebook Connect 7”
- Oculus Quest 2 Launch Price:- $299
- Oculus Quest 2 Connector type:- USB 3 Type-C, 16ft (5m)
- Oculus Quest 2 refresh rate:- 120 Hz (smoother and realistic video)
Ever since it has launched, it has received an overall good review. People have warmed up to the idea of a VR headset that feels comfortable to use and has good functionality. The idea of experiencing games in three dimensions is exciting and full of possibilities.
How to stream Oculus Quest 2 to Twitch?
You can stream Oculus Quest 2 to Twitch by first casting the Quest 2 gameplay onto your PC. Then, capture the gameplay feed from your PC using OBS. You can add additional layers like your camera output, chat, etc. in OBS and then stream it to Twitch.
Note: You can also use these methods for Oculus Quest 1
You can capture the Oculus feed onto your PC in two ways.
- Using Oculus casting site using a browser (https://www.oculus.com/casting)
- Using the SideQuest app
Below are the pros and cons of Oculus Quest 2 streaming methods to cast gameplay from Oculus to your PC.
Pros and Cons | (Method 1) Capture gameplay through Oculus.com/casting | (Method 2) Capture gameplay through the SideQuest app |
---|---|---|
Pros | 1. Beginner-friendly 2. Easy setup | 1. Extended games library 2. Official + in development games + Game Demos 3. You can contact game developers |
Cons | 1. Only official games, limited games library | 1. Developer mode required 2. Side-loading SideQuest app required |
Before we get into details for both methods, let us have a look at the basic requirements to stream Quest 2.
Requirements to stream Oculus Quest 2 to Twitch / YouTube
- Oculus Quest 2 or Quest 1
- USB-C cable
- Wireless Microphone
- Computer/Smartphone (Minimum 8GB ram, intel i5-4670, Window 7 or newer or a Mac)
- Wired internet to your PC (for minimal lag, not necessary)
- Your Twitch/ Youtube account
I hope you find my analysis useful! This section contains a few Amazon links you can use to buy Oculus Quest 2 and its accessories. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Learn More.
- Meta Quest 2 is available in 2 configurations – 128 GB and 256 GB
- Oculus Elite Strap provides enhanced stability and ergonomics while playing
Buy Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap from Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3F49ALi
- Oculus Quest 2 Type-C extra-long 16 ft (5 m) link cable gives you enough space to move in VR, even when connected to your PC
Buy Oculus Quest 2 Type-C Link cable extra-long, 16 ft (5 m) from Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3yUGfBn
- Antlion Audio ModMic Wireless with receiver is the most popular wireless mic to go with Oculus Quest 2
- Uses magnets to attach
- 5x quality than standard Bluetooth headset through Qualcomm aptX Low Latency technology
- Uni-directional and noise-canceling features
- Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux
Buy Antlion Audio ModMic Wireless with receiver from Amazon here: https://amzn.to/38GrpUy
You can use either a computer or smartphone to stream Oculus Quest 2. We will look into both methods.
Method 1 – How to stream Oculus Quest 2 to Twitch using www.oculus.com/casting
- Make sure your Oculus Quest is connected to the same network as your PC
- Put your Oculus Quest 2 headset and press on your controller to open the universal menu.
- Go to Sharing and enable the cast option.
- When it asks where you want to cast from the headset. Select “Computer”
- It will give you a link that starts with www.oculus.com/casting which you can open on your PC
- Open the link on your PC and make sure you are connected to the same network as your Oculus Quest
- Log in with the same Facebook account created for Oculus Quest.
- Your PC browser will open with the gameplay casting on it.
- Open OBS and select source as window capture
- Select the browser, where the gameplay is casted.
- Arrange your scenes with the window captured gameplay and add other sources like your other camera feed
- Stream to Twitch or Youtube like you normally do.
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Method 2 – How to stream Oculus Quest 2 to Twitch using SideQuest app
Step 1 – Turn on the developer mode on Oculus Quest 2
Turn on the developer mode on your Oculus Quest 2. You can follow the steps below to do so:
- Log in to developer.oculus.com using your Facebook account where your Oculus is connected
- Click on “My Apps” in the top right hand corner once you log in and then create an organization name
- Enter your organization’s name. It is needed to get a developers account, put any unique name. As we are not going to be developing any app, it is safe to do so
- Accept the terms and condition and hit submit
- Download the Oculus ADB drivers in case you are on a Windows PC, skip the install if you are using a Mac or linux PC
- Open the downloaded folder and install the “android_windusb.inf” file
- Open your Oculus app on your phone, make sure the Bluetooth is turned on
- Open the menu from the bottom right corner of the app
- Select “Devices” then select the preferred device from the device list and connect your Quest. Make sure your oculus is connected to the app before going further
- Scroll below and tap on more settings or “Developer Mode”
- Click on “Developer mode” and switch the developer mode on
- Make sure the pattern password is disabled on your Oculus Quest 2 otherwise the developer mode won’t work
- Under the same device’s settings ( Menu > Devices> scroll below), you will find “Unlock pattern”
- Make sure there is no pattern set, if there is then remove the pattern
- Exit settings and restart your quest
If you followed the above-mentioned steps, the developer mode should be enabled.
Step 2 – Connect Oculus Quest 2 with PC and download the Sidequest app
Download the SideQuest app, using the how-to guide to download it on Windows and Mac.
- Install the SideQuest app and open it
- Restart your Oculus Quest 2 headset
- Connect your Oculus headset to your PC using a USB-C cable
- You will be prompted with a USB debugging message in your headset, allow it
- Open your SideQuest app and check the top left corner
- Check if the signal has turned green. If unfortunately, it is still red, you can try reconnecting your headset to the computer
- Once you get the green signal, you are good to go!
- If, you want a wireless connection. After connecting your headset to the computer using a USB-C cable. Go to WiFi, from the primary toolbar
- Now, hit on connect
You can disconnect your headset and you will be able to maintain a connection.
Step 3 – Cast the Oculus Quest 2 gameplay on PC and stream to Twitch
To cast your gameplay to PC:
- Go to the TV icon from the primary toolbar in your Oculus Quest 2. It will allow you to cast images from the headset to your PC on the SideQuest application
- If the video quality is distorted. Try reconfiguring crop settings. For the best quality video, make sure crop settings are the same as your monitor
At this point, Oculus should be casting at your computer screen in real-time. All that is left is to stream it, for this follow steps mentioned below:
- Open Streamlabs, or OBS
- Click on add source, add display capture
- Sign in to Twitch
- Give your stream a proper title, add tags with an appealing thumbnail
- Once you are ready, go live! Show the world what you got!
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How to stream Oculus Quest 2 to Twitch without PC?
In case you do not have a PC handy to stream your Oculus, follow the steps below to stream Oculus Quest 2 to Twitch without PC.
For streaming to Twitch with your mobile, you must have Snapdragon 630 and 4Gb memory (RAM).
Step 1 – Cast Oculus Quest 2 to mobile
- If you are on iOS download Meta Quest from the app store
- If you are on Android download the Meta Quest from playstore
- Open the Meta Quest on your phone
- Select Quest 2 as the headset
- Tap the menu and select “Casting”
- Under Cast, choose the headset you would like to cast from
- Choose “This Phone” under the “Cast to” option and start the cast
- Make sure the selected device is connected to your phone
- Now go to your Quest 2 and select the Cast option
- Under cast, select the “Oculus app” to start the cast on your phone
- That’s it, your Oculus Quest 2 cast would now appear on your phone
Step 2 – Stream from smartphone/mobile to Twitch
- Now that you have Oculus quest being cast on your phone. Download Streamlabs/ onion/ omelette arcade on your smartphone
- Link Twitch to your Streamlabs/onion/omelette account
- Set up the stream
- Give your stream a proper name and tags with a terrific thumbnail so it interests your audience.
- Once you are done with all steps above. Hit the go-live button!
Streaming VR on Twitch – Oculus Quest 2 on Twitch gaining popularity
Oculus or Metaquest has around 19k followers on Twitch as of Feb 2022.
It has recently started gaining in popularity, also there has been a sudden interest in Oculus and VR streaming during the pandemic if you see the trend on Twitch.
Reasons for streaming VR on Twitch gaining popularity
- House lockdowns – During the pandemic, people were missing the experience of visiting in place. VR comes very close of making the experience feel real and immersive than a computer screen.
- Need for socialising – People want to hangout in real life like they did before the pandemic and experience things together in the same space. Also, people nowadays have become so busy with in their lifestyle that they prefer socialising on Zoom/ Skype – video calls etc. But, it gets difficult to communicate feelings across the screen as people are in different environments and distractions. VR helps to bridge the gap by bringing everybody in the same space and making communication feel more real.
- Availability of better technology– Unlike the past where you would just put a phone in front of your eyes and call it VR. VR devices today has advanced many generations. Oculus Quest 2 is a great product where you can play immersive games and socialise without even being tied to a wire or a PC. The experience feels real because of higher refresh rates on the screen, there are intuitive controllers now which can mimic the real world interactions.
- Onset of Metaverse – There are already many metaverses today where people hangout like Fortnite events, game rooms, etc. Facebook or Meta is building its own metaverse but in Virtual Reality. It will have imaginative world settings, many interactive features, real world experiences and much more. No doubt VR is going to be a big trend in the coming future and people are excited about it.
Quest hit 21k peak live viewers in the year 2020. Oculus already has more than 290k hours watched on Twitch. We are still at the beginning of virtual reality and this space is still growing. Enthusiasts say it has a great future. I am sure you will not like to miss out on the opportunity! So follow the steps in this article to claim your ticket.
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Common FAQs
How to get the audio of both game and streamer?
Use a wireless mic. Place it on your collar, so it captures your voice and in-game sound together.
What is the stream delay?
There is little latency in-game. Stream delay is the usual 5-10 sec.
How to get sound after streaming from the Sidequest app?
Use Oculus Developer Hub, it can also cast and get audio. It will do the job! Download here for the Oculus Developer Hub for mac.
How do you view/interact with the chat while wearing the VR Headset?
LIV stream kit, originally built for Steam VR. Now, has added support for Oculus. It is available on Steam. Let’s you interact with chat.
How to watch Twitch TV on Oculus Quest?
You can watch Twitch on Oculus. Head on to the headset’s default browser and log on to twitch.tv. It functions just the same as on desktop. But it looks super cool. The VR experience makes it special!
You can even download the Twitch app on Oculus. Log in to the app and enjoy Twitch, without accessing the browser every time.
Pros and cons of Oculus Quest 2
Oculus Quest 2 received great appreciation from critics. But, nothing is perfect. Quest 2 did face some criticism when it was launched in Sep 2020.
Below are some pros and cons of Oculus Quest 2
Oculus Quest 2 Pros | Oculus Quest 2 Cons |
1. Smoother Gameplay 2. Comfortable weight 3. Faster refresh rate (feels more real) 4. Great wireless connectivity 5. Facebook or meta’s backing 6. Great games library 7. More intuitive experience 8. Great price for gamers | 1. Mandatory Facebook account 2. Inter-pupillary distance is controversial 3. Similar design like Quest 1 4. 2-3 hours of battery life 5. Ergonomic strap costs extra 6. Link cable costs extra 7. Facebook ban might make Oculus not work |
Oculus Quest 2 specifications
Oculus Quest 2 comes in three storage variants, 64Gb, 128Gb, 256Gb. All variants feature 6Gb of memory. But, in 2021 128Gb variant replaced 64Gb at the same price. The 128 Gb variant costs, $299, and the 256Gb variant costs $399.
Oculus Quest 2 is capable of operating as a stand-alone headset and as the Oculus software on the desktop.
Quest 2 packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 processor. This specific series of processors by Qualcomm are exclusive for virtual reality devices. It features a fast LCD of 1832×1920 resolution at 120 Hertz.
Ending note
Virtual reality is just amazing! It is a whole new world and way to communicate. In this technology-enabled world, virtual reality takes emotions and experiences to another level, where your interactions feel more realistic and immersive.
The future looks good for VR streaming as more and more people are getting into VR and discovering the joy of experiencing the real world through a lens. So, hop on the VR train and bring your Twitch viewers along on the ride.
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