Meta Quest 3 will get better Windows support in December
Microsoft is bringing Windows to Meta Quest in December, but the quality of the implementation remains to be seen.
Here is Microsoft's announcement, taken from its blog:
"Windows in mixed reality brings the full capabilities of Windows 11 to mixed reality headsets, starting with Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S. Access to your local Windows PC or Windows 365 Cloud PC from a Quest headset is seamless and it takes only seconds to connect to a private, high-quality, multiple-monitor workstation. This will be available in public preview in December."
Windows for Quest: Better late than never
The Windows 365 cloud service was first announced for Meta Quest at Meta Connect 2022, with a planned launch in 2023. Two years after the announcement, the joint project between Microsoft and Meta is finally launching.
Windows will not run on the headset itself, but will be streamed to the VR headset from a local Windows PC or the Windows 365 cloud. How easy and useful this will be depends on the implementation. It has been possible to stream your own Windows desktop to the VR headset for many years, for example with Virtual Desktop or Meta's own solution Quest Link.
Microsoft and Meta promise a seamless user experience. Support for Meta Quest is likely to be implemented deep within Windows to ensure smooth communication between the operation system and Meta Quest.
At Meta Connect 2024 in September, Meta announced that Quest will be able to automatically extend the screen of Windows 11 laptops to digital screens. A glance at the laptop should be enough to activate the digital monitor extension. We are curious to see if it really works that well.
The preview will only support Quest 3 and Quest 3s at launch, but Microsoft hints in the announcement that other headsets will benefit in the future.
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