Oculus Link, the upcoming feature that will let you play Rift games on Quest, is set to launch sometime in November. According to statement made by an Oculus Product Manager, the company is also making Link’s specs available to third parties, meaning you’ll not only have a choice in the matter, but also the confidence that you’re actually buying something designed for the task.
A confirmed Oculus Product Manager, known only by the Reddit handle u/HiFiPotato, had this to say when asked about Link:
“Just to add onto what was stated above, the Oculus Link cable is quite thin and flexible when compared to a standard usb 3 active cable. But length, data integrity, flexibility, ergonomics, and weight were all a factor. We also are releasing the specs of our cable so if a 3rd party wants to build their own and sell it, they are welcome to do so.”
Oculus previously mentioned at Link’s OC6 unveiling earlier this month that most high-quality USB 3 cables should work with Link, so it’s no surprise you won’t be forced to pay the reported $79 for the five meter (16-foot) cable.
Since Oculus is openly making Link’s specs available to third parties though, it’s much more likely we’ll see cables either designed specifically for the task, or at least sporting some sort of ‘Link compatible’ messaging.
Oculus touts their own as bringing a “best-in-class experience with maximum throughput and comfortable ergonomics.”
We went hands-on with Link on Quest back at OC6, and it proved to be an awesome experience, so much so that it actually felt like a native PC VR experience.