Oculus App / Quest Link App Refresh

[Pandages]

the existing Oculus app hasn't seen any significant design changes since its release with the Oculus Rift CV1 around 2015.  I think it needs a significant refresh, not just aesthetically but functionally.  I think this could correspond with optimizing support for current and future VR kits, while removing support for older kits that are no longer in production (CV1, Rift S, Quest 1, etc)

FEATURES MISSING FROM LINK:

• Hand / Body Tracking
• Eye Tracking
• Face Tracking
• 120 Hz support on Quest 3
• AR / MR / XR of any kind, whatsoever.
• Battery Indicators represented as accurate percentage remaining.  The Quest itself can see this, but in Link we only get a rough estimate of battery.  Elite strap battery remaining impossible to see.
• Quest Notifications sent over link, regardless of source.  Presently, any notifications coming to the quest are handled by the quest and overlayed overtop of the VR view.  This works fine but doesn't integrate with any ecosystem and feels kinda funky.
• AV1 support, for streaming to Quest 3 from RTX 4xxx or RX 7xxx cards.
• HDR support by colorspace mapping back to SDR to be encoded and sent over link.  RGB10A2 color space mapped to Rec. 2100 fixes this, and isn't too computationally complex.  If OBS can do it, Meta ought to be able to do it.
• Any configuration of the Quest itself, at all, while linked.  No temporary way to pause link and get into the Quest configuration, without restarting the link.
• No way to use multiple headsets concurrently.
• No way to use a dedicated GPU just for VR / Quest Link.

PROBLEMS WITH CURRENT LINK:

• Supported hardware list is EXTREMELY out of date.  Ryzen CPUs are listed as unsupported, along with AMD GPUs newer than 2019.
• Swapping from AirLink to Link Cable requires going through the Setup Wizard each time.  I want to be able to configure a headset to use a cable whenever possible, and to use AirLink when no cable is present, or when the cable is being unreliable.  Switching from one to the other ON THE FLY.
• Link UI and troubleshooting are extremely unclear.  Sometimes a headset simply will not connect over Link and there is no indication what might be the problem.  This occurs with both a cabled link or airlink.  Restarting all Oculus services as well as rebooting the Quest itself tends to fix the issue, but there is no indication within the software of what the user is meant to do.
  • In other words, in trying to be 'extremely easy' or 'minimally technical' it leaves some users in a state that is both befuddling, and without any obvious recourse.
• Link performance and resolution are flatly inferior to Virtual Desktop, a competing app that supplants AirLink entirely.  This application fixes nearly every issue on the list, and is developed by just one person.  (It's embarrassing.  You could simply hire him.)
• HDR on displays, and creating virtual monitors within the Overlay.  Not only are colors captured incorrectly, but monitors flicker in and out of color into a black screen and sometimes show a big yellow /!\ as though something is wrong.  The solution is to disable HDR, but doing that Each Time you want to use Link is really irritating.  (Virtual Desktop works fine with HDR enabled.)  Could by fixed by mapping the HDR RGB10A2 colorspace to Rec. 2100
• Weird Audio Quirks, where sometimes a headset won't establish an audio stream (either sound output from the computer, or microphone feed back to the computer) over the link.  Especially common in the Quest Pro v54 and newer, but can happen in other circumstances.  Restarting the Quest unit appears to be the fix, but this should not be a problem.
• Link doesn't remember window positions, and always shows the Store upon loading.  (I'm not going to buy a VR game within VR, I'm here to play a game or have an experience, not to make a purchase)
• Link sometimes gets confused about SteamVR running and repeatedly shows a SteamVR 'program' on the Oculus Dock within the Overlay, and keeps switching to that program, making virtual monitors unusable.

THINGS I REALLY LIKE ABOUT OCULUS / QUEST LINK

I want to end on a positive note.  I'm not upset with the developers, I know you all work very hard on this stuff.  So here are the things that I think work better than any alternatives I have tried.

• Oculus Overlay, using the Oculus / Meta button on the right controller.  This overlay is massively superior to SteamVR's overlay, or even to Virtual Desktop.  It allows users to rip windows out of a virtual monitor and place those windows anywhere, pin them overtop of VR, it's just fantastic.
• Guardian, especially combined with the improvements to space mapping in Quest 3.  I've never accidentally punched a wall.  The dynamic guardian system that is acceleration-influenced is awesome, so moving slowly doesn't trigger guardian as soon as a fast dodge or swing of the arm.  This is brilliant.
• Pass-Thru when Guardian boundary is exceeded.  The way the world fades in while in Link, is brilliant.  I wish the audio didn't cut out, but that's a nitpick.
• Cross-Buy of software.  I like that most games bought on the Quest Store that have a PC version will be added to the Oculus library.  I wish this were 100% consistent and universal, like just a store policy from Meta.  It would give the Oculus store a reason to exist rather than users simply always purchasing from Steam. (and barring that idea, maybe consider just partnering with Valve instead of trying to run your own store for PCVR games)

[JonathanGraber]

I second this notion. I want to play via cable and Virtual Desktop on PC is also abandoned.... 

[Chundvar]

Really great post! Love all the detail you go into about improvements to Quest Link and I totally agree. 

[Pandages]

@Chundvar Thank you.  I work in a technical background and try to be detailed.  I'd be happy to work with you all and leverage my skills, for the benefit of all the customers (both existing and future).

[Twiggy_110]

Also worth mentioning the Meta brand, having a software still called Oculus is technically correct but very outdated with Meta's current presentation 😀

[Pandages]

@Twiggy_110 I hear what you're saying.  I'm fine with Meta retaining "Oculus" as how they brand their store or their link application (similar to how Valve brands their store "Steam").  But I do think that should be an INTENTIONAL choice of so, rather than just "oops we didn't update the app".

Sometimes, it feels like PCVR isn't a priority for Meta.  Which is frustrating because that is absolutely my priority.