Virtual Desktop's latest beta release for Quest adds USB support for wired PC streaming, a long-requested feature.
Virtual Desktop has been a popular choice for PC VR gamers on standalone headsets for years, but the connection between headset and PC has always been wireless. Neither it nor Valve's Steam Link app supports a wired USB connection, leaving wired users relegated to using Meta's often-unreliable Link application or the some-tinkering-required ALVR.
Virtual Desktop's new Quest Beta version 1.34.19, out now, changes that. USB support requires the headset to be on Quest OS v2.4 or higher. Users on other platforms like Pico and Play For Dream MR have to add USB Ncm support to use the feature.
For wireless PC VR gaming using a standalone headset, the ideal setup has long been a dedicated router, preferably in the same room as the PC and HMD. This is particularly true for Wi-Fi 6 connections as those signals degrade when physical walls are between router and device. That said, for users like myself, this is not a practical solution. My household router is several rooms away from my play space with no option to move it, so people in my situation are forced to use Meta Horizon Link wired with mixed results.
This is a known issue that companies have attempted to address. Meta partnered with D-Link on the VR Air Bridge device, but that device is no longer supported as of December 2024. Valve's Steam Frame headset will come with a dedicated dongle included. I currently use PrismXR's Puppis S1 router for a dedicated headset connection, but that was an additional $90 expenditure on top of Virtual Desktop's $25 purchase price.
It is easy for users not in this position to simply say "move your router" or "spend extra money on this device," but the best path forward is reliable support for wired play. Quest headsets make up over sixty percent of SteamVR's monthly users, according to Valve's own hardware survey. The more connection options readily available, the better.
The beta branch can be downloaded for Windows here and Mac here. Users will also need to change the Virtual Desktop app to the beta channel to take advantage of the feature. To do this in headset, long press the Virtual Desktop tile, then click Settings, Release Channels and select the BETA channel.
