Virtual Desktop
| Original author(s) | Guy Godin |
|---|---|
| Initial release | March 2016 |
| Platform | Meta Horizon OS, HTC, and Pico system software (Android) Windows 10 and 11 (PC client) |
| Website | www |
Virtual Desktop is remote control software for Android-based virtual reality headsets. It allows users to control a PC over a wireless LAN from the headset, including the ability to stream VR games and software.
The original version of Virtual Desktop (now branded as Virtual Desktop Classic) was designed as a 3D windowing environment for PCs on Oculus Rift and SteamVR.[1] In May 2019, an Android port of Virtual Desktop was announced as a launch app for the Oculus Quest headsets, which is designed to allow users to wirelessly control a PC from their headset. It has since been released for Pico, HTC Vive Focus 3, and HTC Vive XR Elite.[2]
Features
[edit]Virtual Desktop displays the PC's display as a window in three-dimensional space. By default, the screen is displayed within a virtual theatre setting, but other backdrops and environments can be used.[1][3]
In May 2019, Virtual Desktop was released as a remote control software for the Oculus Quest, with the ability to wirelessly stream from a host computer headset.[4] Godin later added an additional feature to stream VR games, Facebook forced the developer to remove the update citing that its "stream quality wasn’t reliable enough for Quest owners". An unofficial patch was released outside of the Quest store.[5] However in February 2021, while submitting a version with the feature for inclusion on the less-restrictive Oculus App Lab store, the company backpedaled and approved the feature in the Quest store version of Virtual Desktop.[6]
In March 2024, Virtual Desktop added emulated SteamVR body and finger tracking support on Meta Quest. Finger tracking support emulates the Valve Index controllers, and body tracking emulates HTC Vive Tracker devices. On Quest 2 and newer, this feature utilizes the "generative legs" API for estimated leg motion, as well as the inside-out body tracking API on Quest 3 for upper body tracking. Inverse kinematics are used on older Quest models.[7]
Reception
[edit]In a review by Engadget upon the release of its PC version, Virtual Desktop was praised for its simplicity and functionality, with its reviewer noting that it was comfortable enough to use for general web browsing tasks, and for watching videos.[1][3]
The Meta Quest version of Virtual Desktop was noted by critics as increasing the flexibility of the device by allowing users to play PC-compatible VR games wirelessly (as opposed to the headset's "Link" feature, which uses a direct USB connection to the host computer).[8][9] In a May 2020 reappraisal of the Oculus Quest, Sam Byford of The Verge noted that Virtual Desktop "[wasn't] noticeably worse" than Oculus Link, but that its quality depended on the amount of overall activity on the user's network.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Virtual Desktop for VR is a glimpse at a future without monitors". Engadget. April 18, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ "Your PC in VR". Virtual Desktop. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ a b Kuchera, Ben (March 28, 2016). "This is the first program you should buy for your Oculus Rift". Polygon. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ Hayden, Scott (May 6, 2019). "This is What 'Virtual Desktop' Looks Like on Oculus Quest". Road to VR. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ Robertson, Adi (September 25, 2020). "Facebook is turning VR into a platform — but some indie developers fear its power". The Verge. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ Faulkner, Cameron (February 25, 2021). "Oculus reapproved Virtual Desktop's native PC streaming feature for Quest headsets". The Verge. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
- ^ "Virtual Desktop On Quest 3 Can Now Emulate Vive Trackers". UploadVR. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Byford, Sam (May 21, 2020). "One year on, the Oculus Quest is the VR headset to get". The Verge. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ "Virtual Desktop: Ein 3D-Desktop für Oculus Rift und HTC Vive". GameZone (in German). March 24, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
