There is some promise, but I'd push back on the implication that this is viable as a mainstream option.
Right now through either Oculus (Wireless) Link, or something like Virtual Desktop, you can totally stream content from a PC to the headset, but that comes with a big list of asterisks (easily observable if you look at any support channel for both products):
- Most people's WiFi sucks, the room they're in has poor signal, or their router is mostly shite. The experience is awful for them.
- Most people's PCs are not connected to their network by ethernet, which seems like a crucial part of getting a good experience.
- Even under ideal conditions configured by an enthusiast who groks the tech, frame drops are relatively common.
- Streaming is generally not possible at full-resolution due to bandwidth limitations. A wireless-first approach presents an additional barrier to one of VR's biggest stumbling blocks - as screen resolutions increase streaming cannot keep up.
So getting the setup to work well right now requires a pretty knowledgeable user. Even assuming we can improve on this, I will wager that "95% effective, visible degradation a few seconds at a time at random intervals" is enough of a problem to be a hard stop on mainstream adoption.
This is the hole VR is in generally - the tech is "good enough" for enthusiasts, but punishing to the mainstream.
I'd agree with all of these caveats. I'll also say that I suspect part of the reason why my experience is good is my PC is hardwired, and my headset is ~2 meters away from my wifi router.
I'll also add to what you mention about the initial setup - it's an absolute pain in the ass... every single time. Takes me about 10min to do the setup dance each time I set up air link.
In general though I see all these as being fixable. A dedicated transmitter and improvements in the UX of this can address all of these.
Me too. I have a WiFi 6 router sitting on my desk with direct LOS to the headset and my machine is hardwired to ethernet and I have a really high quality network setup at home.
The experience with Oculus Link is pretty good - but I'm an outlier in my setup!
And yes, none of this is completely un-conquerable, but I'd argue unfixable without significant new hardware and standards. This is not a "just have to improve the software" problem.
Right now through either Oculus (Wireless) Link, or something like Virtual Desktop, you can totally stream content from a PC to the headset, but that comes with a big list of asterisks (easily observable if you look at any support channel for both products):
- Most people's WiFi sucks, the room they're in has poor signal, or their router is mostly shite. The experience is awful for them.
- Most people's PCs are not connected to their network by ethernet, which seems like a crucial part of getting a good experience.
- Even under ideal conditions configured by an enthusiast who groks the tech, frame drops are relatively common.
- Streaming is generally not possible at full-resolution due to bandwidth limitations. A wireless-first approach presents an additional barrier to one of VR's biggest stumbling blocks - as screen resolutions increase streaming cannot keep up.
So getting the setup to work well right now requires a pretty knowledgeable user. Even assuming we can improve on this, I will wager that "95% effective, visible degradation a few seconds at a time at random intervals" is enough of a problem to be a hard stop on mainstream adoption.
This is the hole VR is in generally - the tech is "good enough" for enthusiasts, but punishing to the mainstream.