What you need to know
- The May v29 Quest 2 update silently added the ability to run PC VR games at 120Hz through Oculus Air Link.
- This refresh rate was previously made available via wired Oculus Link or wirelessly via the 3rd-party Virtual Desktop software in April.
- Gamers will need to toggle the option in the Oculus desktop software to see the change on their Quest 2.
Oculus Air Link has only been around for about a month now and it's already seeing its first big upgrade on the Oculus Quest 2. UploadVR spotted a post on Reddit that showed 120Hz availability for Oculus Link on the PC side of the equation. Turns out, that May v29 Quest update silently enabled the feature without any mention or fanfare from Oculus.
Oculus Air Link was already one of the best ways to play SteamVR on Quest, as well as the only way to play certain Oculus-exclusive PC VR games wirelessly — like Minecraft, for instance. Having 120Hz support puts Air Link closer to feature parity with Virtual Desktop — Air Link's biggest competitor and the defacto standard for wireless PC VR gaming for well over a year now — and it also means that Quest 2 players with the best gaming PCs for VR will be able to experience the smoothest gameplay that mobile VR ever delivered.
While there are several native Quest games that can run at 120Hz, the ability for a good gaming PC to run virtually all VR games at such a high frame rate — even if it requires a little graphical quality tweaking — is a game-changer for players. A higher refresh rate not only delivers smoother imagery, but also helps better immerse your brain into the virtual world, further prevent motion sickness, and just make the entire experience more pleasant. It could also give you a slight edge in competitive multiplayer titles, although you'll still need the skills to take advantage of that.
If your Quest 2 already has the May v29 update, make sure the Oculus software on your PC is also running at version 29, as well. From there, head to the devices section of your Oculus desktop software, click on your Quest 2 in the list of available devices, select graphics options from the list on the right, and then select 120Hz as the refresh rate. Now, if your PC has the power to run VR games at 120 frames per second, you'll be playing smoother than ever. If you're having trouble with Oculus Air Link, check out our Air link troubleshooting guide.
It's got it all
The Oculus Quest 2 is the best standalone VR headset and the most affordable way to play high-end PC VR content.
