Meta has launched a brand new app for the Quest 3, 2, and Professional that allows you to use the headset as a display screen for a console, laptop computer, or any gadget with video output. Utilizing the free Meta Quest HDMI Hyperlink app does require extra {hardware}, however it’s nonetheless a comparatively low cost method to repurpose headphones as an alternative of shopping for single-purpose video glasses that price simply as a lot.
In a submit shared to the Meta Quest weblog right now, the corporate warns that making it work is not so simple as utilizing Air Hyperlink, which permits the Quest headset to stream movies from a PC over Wi-Fi. As an alternative of plugging a PS5, Pixel 9 or perhaps a laptop computer instantly into the Quest’s USB-C port with a cable, you may want so as to add a UVC (USB Video Class) and UAC (USB Audio Class) appropriate 1080p seize card to the combo.
These seize playing cards at the moment are as small as a USB flash drive and price lower than $20 (Notice: edge Have not examined this product or something at present obtainable on Amazon), sometimes there may be an HDMI port on one finish and a USB-A or USB-C connection on the opposite. Some seize playing cards even embody an additional energy adapter port, which can hold the Quest charged whereas related.
With the Meta Quest HDMI Hyperlink app put in on a supported Quest headset, you possibly can join your video supply gadget to the seize card’s enter utilizing any mandatory cables (USB-C to HDMI, Lightning to HDMI, and so forth.) after which join the The dongle connects on to the headphones. As soon as the Quest launches, you may additionally have to “grant the required permissions,” however after that, movies from related gadgets might be watched with “near-zero lag” on the floating resizable display screen.
Decision will likely be restricted to 1080p at 60fps, however the app permits the Quest to ship a big-screen expertise and not using a projector, or to position video sources in smaller home windows with different apps. Future variations of the Quest headset might supply comparable built-in performance via native assist for requirements like DisplayPort over USB-C, however the adapter strategy is a simple method to carry this performance into current {hardware}.