Oculus Quest 2 just got a lot better for iPhone owners
When real-life intersects with virtual reality
The Oculus Quest 2 continues to rank at the top of our best VR headset roundup, and this new update from Facebook — which includes the first Oculus Quest — will let iPhone users view their lock screen notifications while in virtual reality
Oculus update v29 will add the new feature, routing your iOS phone notifications through the Oculus app. Soon, real-life interruptions that shatter Ouest headsets' VR illusion will be a thing of the past.
- Here are the best VR headsets out right now
- How to setup and use your Oculus Quest 2
- Plus: Google I/O 2021 recap: Android 12, Wear OS, Project Starline
As of now, the new notifications feature is for iOS only, but Facebook adds that Android support is “coming soon as well.” The feature is part of Facebook's wider 'Infinite Office' drive to enable users to manage their real-life workloads in a virtual reality setting.
Privacy shouldn’t be a concern, either: notifications are only visible to the designated user, and “…will not be visible to any other account holders signed into the headset,” according to Facebook.
Other new features include the ability for users to superimpose their real-life bodies onto games through their phone's camera. Dubbed Live Overlay, users can pair the body-shifting feature with recording and casting options in VR apps, as well.
And if you're interested in more serviceable updates, Facebook has also introduced a new file management utility, which offers the ability "to access, browse, manage, share, and upload files located on your headset across multiple locations in VR.”
If all this has got you excited, then check out our where to buy Oculus Quest 2 article to see if you can snag yourself one as there have been stock issues as of late. While there are definitely more expensive, and arguably more capable, headsets on the market, like the Valve Index or the HTC Vive, the cost-to-performance ratio with the Quest 2 is unmatched. And with features like Air Link, which allows users to connect their Oculus Quest 2 to their PCs wirelessly, it makes VR all the more effortless. On the active Virtual Reality subreddit, many recommend the Oculus Quest 2 over others for this feature alone. Although many also bemoan having to create and link a Facebook account.
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Luke is a Trainee News Writer at T3 and contributor to Tom's Guide, having graduated from the DMU/Channel 4 Journalism School with an MA in Investigative Journalism. Before switching careers, he worked for Mindshare WW. When not indoors messing around with gadgets, he's a disc golf enthusiast, keen jogger, and fond of all things outdoors.