Everything on Meta Quest, current as of today.

You'll need a Meta account (a Meta Horizon profile), the Meta Horizon app on your phone, a Wi-Fi network, and a charged headset.

1. Charge the headset fully before you start - the first software update is large.
2. Power on and install the Meta Horizon app on your phone.
3. Pair the two using the code shown in the headset.
4. Connect to Wi-Fi and sign in or create your account.
5. Let the system update run. This is often the longest step.
6. Set your IPD, then draw your boundary.
7. Run the controller tutorial - First Steps, or First Encounters on Quest 3 and 3S.

Get the IPD right before anything else. On Quest 3, squeeze and slide the lenses; there's also a lens-depth adjustment for eye relief. It is the single biggest factor in how sharp the headset looks.

Meta button → Quick Controls → Settings → Environment Setup → Boundary

• Stationary gives you a default 3 ft × 3 ft (1 m × 1 m) circle centred on you - fine for seated and standing-still games.
• Roomscale lets you draw a custom boundary. Meta recommends at least 6.5 ft × 6.5 ft (2 m × 2 m) of clear floor.

Worth turning on: Glanceable Boundary (look down to see your play space without triggering the full grid) and Double-Tap for Passthrough. You can also adjust boundary sensitivity, floor level and grid colour.

Note the rename: what used to be called Oculus Link is now Meta Horizon Link. Four routes, all viable:

• Horizon Link (wired) - free. Needs a USB-C port. The official 5 m cable is about $79.99, but a good USB 3.0 cable works.
• Air Link (wireless) - free and built in.
• Steam Link - free, from the Horizon Store, straight into SteamVR.
• Virtual Desktop - $19.99 once. AV1 support and bitrates up to 400 Mbps; the enthusiast choice.

PC requirements

Intel i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 and up, 16 GB+ RAM, Windows 10 or newer, and a USB-C port for wired use. Supported GPUs run from the GTX 970 and GTX 1060 6 GB desktop cards through the RTX 20/30/40/50 series, and AMD 400-series through 9000-series plus Vega. Not supported: GTX 1060 3 GB or mobile, GTX 1650, AMD 200/300 series, Intel Arc, and workstation cards.

Wireless network setup

Put the PC on Ethernet, not Wi-Fi. Use a Wi-Fi 5, 6 or 6E router, keep the headset on the 5 GHz band, and put the router in the same room with line of sight, a metre or so off the floor. Avoid mesh networks - the extra hop adds latency you will feel.

• Chromecast-enabled TV - open the universal menu, pick the camera icon, choose your TV.
• Any TV with a browser - go to oculus.com/casting, sign in, and cast to "computer".
• Fire TV Stick - install the free AirScreen app. Expect about a second of audio delay; pair Bluetooth headphones to the headset instead.
• Phone - Meta Horizon app → headset icon → Cast. Mirror your phone to a TV from there if you want it on the big screen.
• Laptop + HDMI - cast to oculus.com/casting in a browser and run HDMI to the TV.

Nausea in VR is almost always the mismatch between what your eyes see and what your inner ear feels. It fades with exposure if you build up gradually rather than pushing through.

• Start with short sessions - 15 to 20 minutes - and stop at the first hint of queasiness rather than powering on.
• Use teleport movement and snap turning before smooth locomotion, and turn on the comfort vignette.
• Begin with stationary games. Beat Saber, Walkabout Mini Golf and mixed-reality apps rarely trouble anyone.
• Keep the highest stable refresh rate - dropped frames make it worse.
• Fit matters: correct IPD, level on your face, snug. A top strap or Elite Strap shifts weight off your cheekbones.
• Point a fan at yourself. Airflow genuinely helps, and it stops the lenses fogging.

Controller drift

1. Update firmware - Settings → System → Software Updates.
2. Recalibrate - Settings → Devices → Controller Calibration.
3. Unpair and re-pair - Settings → Devices → Controllers.
4. Replace the batteries.
5. Factory reset, only as a last resort.

Tracking loss

Light the room well but avoid direct sunlight and glare, cover or move mirrors and large reflective surfaces, keep controllers in view, and clean the sensors - three pill-shaped ones on the front, two circles under the bottom edge - with a microfibre cloth.

Short battery life

Drop from 120 Hz to 90 Hz, lower the brightness, turn on Battery Saver, and let the headset cool between sessions.

Factory reset - three ways

• Phone app: Meta Horizon → menu → Devices → Headset settings → Advanced settings → Factory reset.
• Hardware: power off, then hold Power + Volume Down for two seconds. Navigate with the volume buttons, confirm with power. Works with no phone and no Wi-Fi.
• Web: meta.com → Meta Horizon Profile Settings → Devices → Factory reset, confirmed by a six-digit email code.

A reset erases local data and settings only. Your purchased games stay in your account. Local photos, videos and recordings are permanently deleted - back them up first.

The minimum age to use a Quest headset is 10.

• 10–12 - a parent-managed preteen account. Parent approval is required for everything.
• 13–17 - the teen manages their own account. Supervision is on by default, but the teen can switch it off.
• 18+ - full autonomy.

With supervision on, a parent can approve or deny each app download, purchase or use; require approval for all purchases including Meta Credits; set daily time limits that vary by day; schedule enforced breaks; curate an approved contact list for chat and calls; manage privacy and data-sharing; and see the full app inventory.

Set it up in the Meta Horizon app or at the Family Center site. Verifying you're the parent requires a payment method - a nominal amount is charged and refunded.