Back in September, at the Connect event, Meta surprised us by teaming up with Microsoft to make Windows 11 PCs capable of automatically pairing with Quest headsets wirelessly. Excitingly enough, they’re saying we can start testing this feature in December.
This new capability is set to let Quest 3 and Quest 3S headsets connect to computers running Windows 11, creating a multi-monitor setup. If you own any version of Apple’s Mac and their Vision Pro headset, this might sound familiar, as Apple has had its Mac Virtual Display feature since February 2024.
According to Microsoft, they plan to roll out the feature for public preview sometime in December. They believe it will catch the attention of users eager to boost their productivity.
Melissa Grant, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Microsoft 365, expressed her enthusiasm in a blog post, saying, “With Windows in mixed reality, we’re bringing the complete Windows 11 experience to mixed reality headsets, starting with Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S. It’s incredibly straightforward to connect to either your local Windows PC or a Windows 365 Cloud PC. In just a few seconds, you can be immersed in a private, high-quality, multi-monitor workstation environment.”
During the initial reveal at September’s Connect event, Meta showcased how you can effortlessly link up to your PC just by glancing at the keyboard. This feature allows you to access your computer instantly and move windows across multiple virtual screens, which is quite a shift from the Remote Desktop experience enabled by Meta’s own Air Link.
Although Quest has been predominantly known as the leading standalone VR gaming console, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, sees this deeper integration with Windows as a move in a promising direction for Quest.
“This development is paving the way for crafting a general computing platform,” Zuckerberg mentioned. “While gaming is an area where [Quest] truly shines, it’s not limited to that. You’ll also be able to use it for apps, watch videos, and tackle various tasks you would typically do on any general-purpose computer. Quest truly brings you the whole package.”
We’ll stay tuned for any updates on release dates and make sure to keep you informed as soon as we hear more details.
