F1 23: How to use Meta Quest 2 with F1 23: VR Guide

For the second year running, we can race a Formula 1 game in VR. F1 23 supports sim racing with the latest VR headsets on PC, including the ever-popular Meta Quest 2.

In this guide, I’m going to run through exactly how to set up a Meta Quest 2 with F1 23. As it isn’t quite as simple as it probably should be, and there are multiple ways of setting the Quest 2 up including with Air Link and a link cable.

How to connect Meta Quest 2 to F1 23

In this guide, I’ll run through the set up process in detail. However, if you don’t have too long to read the full article, below is a summary of how to set up a Meta Quest 2 with F1 23.

The steps below have been summarised to be easily used as a quick reference guide. If you are setting up your Meta Quest 2 headset with F1 23 for the first time, read on to see exactly how to go about each step of the setup process.

Different ways of connecting Meta Quest 2

One of the biggest selling points of the Meta Quest 2 that made it so popular was its ability to be played completely wire-free. It utilised its own operating system and allowed for smaller games to be installed directly onto the headset itself.

Air Link vs Link cable

If you want to enjoy your high-performing Steam games without a wire, you can do that as well through a feature called Air Link. This allowed for completely wireless streaming of your game from your PC to your headset. Although there are some negatives for playing this way, which I’ll touch on in a bit.

The second option is to use a link cable to wire your headset to your PC. This allows the data to be sent from your PC to your headset via the cable allowing for more consistent performance and longer play sessions at the expense of having a wire linking you to your PC.

Air Link

The wire-free option, Air Link, is fantastic if you don’t want to be wired to your PC. You can sometimes feel a wire running from your headset, although the wire does run out of the side and down your back.

This is less of an issue when sitting in a sim rig, as the wire can run down the back of your chair. However, if you do want to lose the wire and play F1 23 via Air Link, you can.

While the big positive of using Air Link is the removal of the cable, there are a fair few drawbacks when using this method of connecting your Quest 2 to F1 23.

The first is the longer setup process. Air Link requires additional set up steps, and essentially mirrors your PC desktop.

The next is that the performance can suffer depending on your wi-fi speed. Slow internet speeds will cause the connection to be affected resulting in less frames, stutters and negative impacts to graphic performance.

Finally, you have the battery life to contend with. While using a Meta Quest 2 to play F1 23 over Air Link, you will only get a few hours of battery life at best out of the headset. This can become a big issue if competing in long races or multiple races in a single session.

Pros of playing F1 23 via Air Link

• Completely tether-free experience
• Full mobility without cables
• Can stream VR games from PC to Quest 2 headset wirelessly

Cons of Air Link

• Battery life will limit how long you can play for
• Requires a fast and stable internet connection
• Additional latency

Link cable

A link cable is the hard-wired option and is the better option for performance and longer play sessions. Using a link cable allows for increased bit rates and reduces latency resulting in much better performance quality.

The link cable also powers your headset allowing you to race for much longer durations than those using Air Link. In fact, the link cable actually charges the headset while playing.

Pros of playing F1 23 with a Link cable

• Minimal latency for the most responsive experience
• Higher bitrate
• Powers headset while playing

Cons of Link cable

• Physically connected to your PC
• The cable can pull on the headset

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What is needed to play F1 23 in VR

So we’ve looked at the two different ways of connecting an Oculus Quest 2 to F1 23, but what else do you need to get started racing? There are a few things that you certainly require to fully utilise VR in F1 23.

• Powerful enough PC that is VR capable
• Fast internet for Air Link
• Oculus app installed on your PC
• A racing wheel and pedals

VR capable PC

The first and possibly most important thing you will need to ensure you ave to enjoy F1 23 in VR with a Quest 2 or any other VR headset, is a powerful PC.

If you try to play F1 23 with an Oculus Quest 2 on a PC that isn’t powerful enough your experience will be rather troublesome. You’ll experience blurry graphics and extremely low framerates.

The reason why a powerful PC is required for VR gaming is that the game has to be rendered twice, once in each eye. That can double the performance requirement compared to when playing a game on a single monitor.

Some recommended minimum specs for F1 23 with Oculus Quest 2 are;

• Processor – Intel i5-4590/AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or better
• Graphics card – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Super or better
• Memory – 8 GB+ RAM
• Operating system – Windows 10
• Connection ports –  1x USB 3.0 port

Remember these specs are the minimum requirements, and won’t necessarily result in smooth gameplay.

Good internet connection for Air Link

If you would like to remove the link cable and play wirelessly, you should ensure that your internet can handle the data requirements.

Playing F1 23 over Air Link means that the entire game has to be streamed to your headset over your internet. A fast internet connection will allow for smooth gameplay, although you’ll always experience compromised performance compared to using a link cable.

Oculus app installed

Without the Oculus app, your Meta Quest 2 cannot be used with your PC. You’ll connect your headset to your PC via the Oculus app, and change settings in the app. The good news is the app is free to download and install.

A racing wheel and pedals

If you are going to the extent of increasing immersion in F1 23 with a VR headset, adding a racing wheel and pedal set to your experience is a no-brainer.

A racing wheel increases immersion so much over using a controller, and paired with a VR headset can almost make you forget you’re racing in a simulator, and not the real thing!

Read our guide on the very best racing wheels for F1 23.

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Using Meta Quest 2 with Steam VR

One of the very best ways to use the Meta Quest 2 with F1 23 is via Steam VR, and it is how I’d recommend playing F1 23 in VR.

Once you have connected your Quest 2 to your PC, downloaded the Oculus app and gone through the set up process, launching F1 23 in Steam VR is simple.

You just need to ensure Steam VR is installed on your PC, and then when launching F1 23 from Steam, you’ll have the option for playing VR.

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How to use Air Link with F1 23

As mentioned earlier, there are some pros and cons of racing F1 23 using Air Link. One of the cons is the increased set up requirements. Below are the steps you’ll need to follow to set up your Quest 2 with F1 23 using Air Link.

Connect Meta Quest 2 via Air Link step by step

1. With your Quest 2 and your PC turned on and connected to the internet, open the Oculus app on your PC.
2. Click “Devices”, then “Add headset”. Choose Quest 2 from the headset selection menu. Then choose Air Link (Wireless).
3. Put your Quest 2 headset on.
4. In the headset, using the controllers, select the quick settings option by clicking on the clock in the navigation bar.
5. Open the full settings menu by selecting the settings icon in the top right of the screen.
6. At the bottom of the settings, you’ll see the box titled “Experimental”. Click this, then scroll to the Air Link option. Enable this by selecting the toggle.
7. Once enabled, you can go back to the previous quick settings menu, and you should see a box titled “Oculus Air Link”. Select this and then select your PC from the following list.
8. You will be presented with a pairing code that will also display on your PC screen. Ensure both of these codes match and click confirm.
9. Once confirmed you will be fully connected.
10. Next, select the option to mirror your PC display. This will mirror your PC in your Quest 2 headset.
11. Finally, open up F1 23 in Steam, and click play in VR.

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How to use the Link cable with F1 23

The link cable is the better option for connecting a Quest 2 to your PC if performance is your main priority. You will unlock better bitrates and latency options when hardwired. Follow the steps below to connect via link cable.

Connect Meta Quest 2 via Link cable step by step

1. With your Quest 2 and your PC turned on and connected to the internet, open the Oculus app on your PC.
2. Click “Devices”, then “Add headset”. Choose Quest 2 from the headset selection menu. Then choose Link (Cable).
3. Next, plug in the Link cable to both your PC and Quest 2 headset.
4. Then click continue in the Oculus App and you’ll be fully connected.
5. Finally, repeat the steps above from step 10 onwards to start playing F1 23 in VR with your Quest 2.

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How to cast Meta Quest 2 to a TV or monitor

If you like to game with a friend or want to show others your gameplay while you race F1 23 in VR, you can cast your Quest 2 display on a TV. Follow the steps below to do this.

1. Connect a Chromecast to your TV or monitor.
2. Ensure your Quest 2 and your TV are both turned on.
3. Select Chromecast as the TV source.
4. With the Quest 2 headset on, open the home menu. Then open the share menu by pointing to and clicking the share icon.
5. Click the cast button and then select your Chromecast from the menu. Click next to proceed, and your TV should start mirroring your Quest 2’s display.

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F1 23 Meta Quest 2 settings

There are a few settings that you can change to allow F1 23 to perform or run better with a Meta Quest 2. With a technology like VR, it isn’t surprising that there will be a little bit of tinkering required to optimise performance.

Refresh rate

When you connect your Quest 2 via a link cable you’ll automatically be able to use the 120Hz refresh rate. However, when connecting via Air Link, it’ll default to just 72Hz.

You can change this to 120Hz even while using Air Link by heading into the graphics preferences in the settings menu.

Resolution

By default, each screen in the Meta Quest 2 will output at 1832 x 1920 pixels. This is the maximum true resolution, however, you can actually increase the resolution in the settings past this limit.

You can increase the resolution of the Meta Quest 2 all the way up to a combined 5408 x 2736 pixels. While this won’t actually increase the resolution output, it can result in a smoother image due to the way each screen distorts the image.

Each lens shows a warped image to ensure the end result looks convincing. This can result in some missing detail in the distorted areas. Increasing the resolution will fill those areas resulting in a better all-round image.

Bitrate

The bitrate of the Quest 2 by default will be set to automatic. This will increase and reduce the bitrate dynamically to ensure your game runs well. You can however, choose to lock the bitrate, which can result in a smoother performance, especially if you know your PC can handle it.

You’ll find the bitrate settings in the Air Link settings, where you’ll be able to select a static bitrate. Making a change to the bitrate and then running a test session will allow you to find the best bitrate for you.

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Overview

Overall, if you follow our step-by-step guide on how to set up the Quest 2 with F1 23, you’ll be racing in no time, with very little pain during the set up. I would recommend using a link cable to play F1 23 for the best performance.

Here is a link to purchase the Meta Quest 2 on Amazon.

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Frequently asked questions