The Oculus Quest 2 is a great VR headset and has excellent features like playing video games, listening to music, and watching movies. In recent years, live streaming has become very popular as many people want to show their friends or fans what they are doing on social media and other sites on the internet. If you have purchased an Oculus Quest 2 headset, you might wonder if you can Livestream on it.
So, can you go Livestream on Oculus Quest 2? You cannot Livestream on your Oculus Quest 2 headset because Meta removed the feature that allowed people to Livestream their activities on Facebook. It has a feature known as “Go Live” that people would use to Livestream using Facebook. Meta Quest released the “v30 update”, which removed the feature because users received it poorly. The “Go Live” feature could only live stream on Facebook, and it was hence less useful for people with a lot of audience on other popular social sites like Twitch and YouTube.
Many people prefer to use devices that can Livestream events to their friends or fans from anywhere in the world. Instead of recording the activity and sending it to people later, you can Livestream the activity and let people see what you are doing as it happens. Live Streaming became an exciting trend in 2016, and a lot of people are now earning millions of dollars by Livestreaming their activities like playing video games.
Most devices like laptops, tablets, and smartphones can Livestream to popular sites like Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook. If you have an Oculus Quest 2 and want to Livestream your activities on the headset, you might wonder if the headset can do it.
You cannot Livestream on your Oculus Quest 2 headset because Meta removed the feature that allowed users to Livestream their activities on Facebook. The feature that allowed users to Livestream on Oculus Quest 2 was known as “Go Live”. In June 2021, Meta Quest released the v30 Oculus Quest software update, and most users noticed that the “Go Live” feature had disappeared after installing the update.
The “Go Live” feature could only Livestream on Facebook, hence users who had bigger audiences on other sites did not see its usefulness. If you want people to see your activity on your headset, you can use the casting feature, which is only limited to a few devices.
Meta included the “Go Live” feature on the Oculus Quest 2 headset so that users can Livestream their VR adventures on Facebook only. This restriction is why most people did not like the “Go Live” feature.
The feature also had other issues that made it difficult to Livestream on Facebook, such as crashing, seeing likes and comments on the Livestream, and difficulty linking the VR headset to a Facebook account. After many people complained about the feature, Meta Quest opted to remove it rather than fix the issues raised because few people used it.
However, you can show your VR adventures on Oculus Quest 2 to some of your friends using the “Casting” feature. The “Casting” feature will stream to devices connected to your local network.
Before you start casting your VR adventures, first confirm if the devices you want to cast have compatibility with the Oculus Quest 2 headset. Even though your device might have casting software, compatibility is not guaranteed on all devices. Casting also increases battery usage and degrades in-app performance; hence, you might experience lag if you play a video game.
Even though the “Go Live” feature was not popular among Oculus Quest 2 headset users, many people did not want Meta Quest to remove it. Some people asked the Quest Support team why the feature was removed and if it would be returned, and the support team urged them to send in their user opinions about the feature.
Therefore, if you feel that the “Go Live” feature should be returned in the future, you can send your suggestion or vote on the Oculus UserVoice forum. If enough people vote for the feature to be returned, maybe Meta Quest will release an improved version in the future.
Do You Need a Phone for Oculus Quest 2?
Virtual Reality headsets are relatively new devices, and not everyone knows how to use them. When you are looking for a VR headset to buy, you might have many questions on how the device works. If you have purchased an Oculus Quest 2 headset, you might be wondering if you need your phone to make it work.
You only need a phone for the initial setup of your Oculus Quest 2 headset. After setting up your headset, you do not need the phone because it can function properly without it. You need to have a smartphone to download and install the Oculus app during the initial setup. After the setup is complete, you can even delete the Oculus app.
You can do everything using the headset alone, such as installing apps, playing video games, watching movies, changing settings, among others. Ensure that you use the correct smartphone to set up your Oculus Quest 2 headset, or you might experience some issues while doing so.
You only need your phone to set up the Oculus Quest 2 headset to log into your Facebook account. You will use your Facebook account to set up your VR profile, choose privacy settings, and select a payment method.
Download and install the Oculus app from Google Play or App Store. Launch the app and sign in using your Facebook account, and if you do not have one, you can also sign up using the app. Put on the VR headset, turn it on and follow the instructions in the VR and in the Oculus app to complete the setup process.
You also need a smartphone with the correct specifications to set up your Oculus Quest 2 headset. If you have an iPhone, the minimum system requirement is iOS 10+. If you are using an android phone, the minimum system requirement is the Android 5.0+. If you try setting up your headset with a phone with earlier versions of iOS or Android, you will experience difficulties completing the process.
Since you only need the phone for the setup, you do not have to buy a new iPhone or Android phone to complete the setup. You can borrow a compatible phone from a friend or relative and after you complete the setup, delete the Oculus app from their phone.
Once you are done setting up, you can keep the Oculus app on your phone or delete it. You can do everything on your Oculus Quest 2 headset, such as playing video games, watching movies, chatting with friends, among many other VR activities.
The Oculus Quest 2 headset has two controllers that you can use to navigate through all features on the headset. If you decide to keep the Oculus app on your phone, you can use it to get news on sales and upcoming releases, buy VR apps, manage your VR apps, change your headset settings, and cast your VR adventures on your phone.
You should note that you need to connect your phone to Wi-Fi during the initial setup and turn on Bluetooth. You will use the Bluetooth connection to set up the Oculus Quest 2 headset. If you run into issues while setting up your headset, you can use the Oculus app to complete the setup process.
The initial setup process also includes fitting the headset perfectly on your head. You can use the sliders on either side of the head to adjust the side straps. If you are using glasses, you should insert the “glasses spacer” before wearing the headset.
Why Do You Need a Phone for Oculus Quest 2?
The virtual reality world has many VR headsets, but the Oculus Quest 2 is one of the best. After purchasing the Oculus Quest 2, you need to set it up, and one requirement you will see is a phone. Therefore, you might be wondering why you need a phone for Oculus Quest 2.
You need a phone for Oculus Quest 2 to set it up for the first time. When setting up the headset for the first time, you need to download and install the Oculus app on your phone, which you will use to create and log in using your Facebook account. After connecting your headset to your phone, you can now finish the set-up process by following the instructions on your VR screen.
Your phone is only important for the initial setup; you can continue using the headset without connecting it to your phone once you are done. If you choose to keep the phone, you can do other things with your headset, such as casting, factory resetting, and sideloading.
Casting is one of the options you can use to show other people what you are doing on your Oculus Quest 2 headset. You can cast on compatible devices, including your phone, through the Oculus app. First, open the Oculus app, tap on the cast icon in the upper right-hand corner on your phone’s screen and select “Next” to allow the app to access your local network.
Select “Quest 2,” choose “This Phone” in the “Cast to” menu and tap “Start” to begin casting. Casting on your phone is the best option if you do not have a television with Chromecast software.
When you run into problems while using your Oculus Quest 2 headset, there are several ways you can solve the problems. One of them is to factory reset your device to clear the data and set it up again. You can factory reset directly on the headset or use your phone.
To perform a factory reset using your phone, launch the Oculus app and select “Devices” on the app’s menu. Tap on “Quest 2” and select “Advanced Settings.” Select “Factory Reset” and tap on “Reset” to complete the process. You should note that you can only use your phone to factory reset your Oculus Quest 2 headset if it is connected to your phone.
Another reason you should keep using your phone with your Oculus Quest 2 headset is sideloading. Sideloading allows you to buy, install and run games on your Oculus Quest 2 headset that are not officially released and available in the official Oculus Store.
You can play many games on your Oculus Quest 2 headset, but since not all games you want are available on the Oculus Store, you have to download them from another site. To sideload games, first enable developer mode on your headset through the Oculus app on your phone.
You can also use your phone through the Oculus app to check for new software updates, offers, and other notifications from Meta Quest. If you do not like searching games or apps on your Oculus Quest 2 headset, you can use the Oculus app on your phone to search, download and pay for any game or app you want.
To download a game or app from your phone, open the Oculus app and then tap “Store” on the app menu. Search for the game or app you want and tap it to download. Tap on the price to purchase the game or app or tap “Free” if the content you want is a free download.
You can also use your phone to send an email or call the Oculus Quest support team and ask for help if you have any headset issues and cannot resolve them through the headset or the Oculus app.
Summary
The live streaming feature is very important, especially for gamers who love to show their fans what games they are playing. The Oculus Quest 2 had the live streaming feature; however, Meta Quest removed it after VR enthusiasts negatively received it.
If you want the “Go Live” feature returned on Oculus Quest 2 headset, head over to the Oculus UserVoice forum to voice your opinion and vote for it to be returned. You can do practically everything on your Oculus Quest 2 headset, but the initial setup after purchasing it, you have to use your phone.
As mentioned earlier, after you are done with the initial setup, you no longer need your phone or the Oculus app. You have the option of deleting the app, or you can keep it and use it to purchase the app, enable sideloading, and factory reset your headset.
