Intel’s new Wi-Fi chip promises a better way to tether your Meta Quest VR headset

Intel and Meta have teamed up on a new way to connect your Oculus Quest headset directly to your gaming PC. If you bought or built a computer with an AX1690 Wi-Fi chip (only that chip, unfortunately), you should be able to: directly connected Instead of relying on your router to pick you up, connect your headset to your computer (via Wi-Fi Now).

In my opinion, the coolest feature of the Oculus Quest is that you can tether it to your gaming PC and Half-life: Alyx Also Star Wars: Squadrons Via Wi-Fi or wired USB-C. But if, like me, you’ve ever struggled to configure your router for the best virtual desktop or Oculus Air Link experience, this might take you out of the equation.

Interestingly, this new feature builds on an existing feature called Double Connect Technology (DCT) that Intel introduced last year. This was initially marketed as a way to simultaneously connect a computer to his 2.4GHz and 5GHz or 6GHz networks for increased bandwidth and reliability. .

But Meta had another idea. What if you could borrow 5GHz (Quest 2) or 6GHz (Quest Pro) for a direct link to your headset without dropping your PC’s internet connection?

Intel and Meta say the results are even better than “hybrid” single-hop setups that connect an Ethernet cable to the gaming PC and rely solely on Wi-Fi on the Quest 2. Intel has taken up to 20 of its routers out of the equation, resulting in a percent lower latency (sub-5 ms).

Virtual Desktop Developer Guy Godin calls it “marketing BS” Sub-5 ms latency is already possible on a good home network, but Meta is against it — CTO Andrew Bosworth said: The company’s data “suggests that this will be an improvement for a significant percentage of Quest 2 customers,” adds Bruno Cendón, head of wireless. I’m not asking people to buy a new motherboard with this Wi-Fi chip — You should be able to buy an M.2 add-in card or PCI board and just want your users to “enjoy the best possible PCVR experience in the easiest way”.

if it is true, Godin proposed Meta should push Intel to fix a bug that allows the existing AX200 Wi-Fi chip to do a much better job of streaming. (Godin and Cendón seem to be DMing about it now.)

And it looks like Cendón’s mistake about the whole need to buy a new motherboard: Intel actually suggests that people who want this should “choose a new 13th Gen Core processor PC and motherboard.” Yes — see image below — and you cannot purchase the AX1690 separately.

In fact, Intel spokesperson Savior Kim said: The Barge Despite also offering Intel’s Double Connect Technology, the new feature does not work with the AX411 add-in card, while the AX1690 works with Intel’s 12th and 13th generation platforms.

This is a shame as the Intel AX411 can be easily found on the web for less than $40. I’d happily plug it into my AMD desktop (currently powered by Intel’s AX200) for that price.

Update, 4:47 PM ET: Added confirmation that Intel’s AX411 is not supported, nor are AMD chipsets. This feature is like an upsell for premium Intel products.