Setting up Remote Desktop

How to use your Windows 10 PC to wirelessly stream your desktop to your Oculus Quest or Oculus Quest 2.

Running Bigscreen in "Remote Desktop" mode allows you to view all your PC content inside of your Oculus Quest or Quest 2! Browse the web, watch videos, or even play a game!

Step 1 - Install the Remote Desktop Client (RDC) on your PC

Make sure your PC can run the Bigscreen Remote Desktop

To start, you will need a moderately recent PC. While the minimum requirements for Bigscreen are listed as requiring an Intel i5-4590 equivalent or better with 8 GB of RAM, and a Nvidia GTX 970 / AMD 290 equivalent or better, you can probably get away with it if your computer doesn't quite meet those requirements, but you still want to be as close as possible.

At the very least, you will want the following:

• An up to date copy of Windows 10
  
• A discrete GPU from Nvidia or AMD

Integrated Intel graphics chips have a high chance of not working with Bigscreen.

Please note that Bigscreen does not support Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 and trying to run it on those operating systems will not work. There is also no Mac support at this time, although that is something planned for the future.

Install the program

You will need to install the Remote Desktop Client program on your PC from the Bigscreen website.

1. Download the Remote Desktop Client here[www.bigscreenvr.com].
   
2. Run the BigscreenRemoteDesktopSetup.exe that you downloaded. This will add an icon called BigscreenRemoteDesktop to your Start menu and on your Desktop.

The Remote Desktop Client is no longer available through Steam or Oculus. These versions are for use with PC VR headsets, Oculus Link, and Air Link only.

Step 2 - Running Remote Desktop

Once you have Bigscreen installed, you will need to launch it using the shortcut on your Desktop or in your Start Menu.

• The first time you run the Remote Desktop Client, Windows will ask you if it should allow RDC to communicate on the network. Choose to Allow Access.
  
• Log in using the same account that you use in Bigscreen on your Quest.

Log into your Bigscreen account

If this is the first time running Bigscreen on your computer, you will then see this screen asking you to login to your existing account.
If you do not already have a login, please create one on your mobile device first.

Audio Driver

Remote Desktop no longer requires the Bigscreen Audio Driver. If you have it installed from earlier and do not use the PC version of Bigscreen, you can uninstall it, although in most cases, it does not hurt to leave it there.

Step 3 - Connect to your Mobile VR Headset

In your Oculus Quest or Oculus Quest 2 headset, launch Bigscreen. Your screen will automatically show up on the big screen at the front of the room.

If you wish to share your screen with other people, open the Bigscreen menu, go to the My Room section and then choose the Remote Desktop tab from the left panel. Under the Streaming section, click on the red button that says "Streaming desktop: Off" to change it to Streaming desktop: On.

You can also change other settings here to configure the screen, including showing it as a floating personal monitor, change the resolution, as well as to enable 3D modes.

Tips & Troubleshooting

Connecting

If Remote Desktop isn't connecting to your Quest, or only partially connecting to your Quest, you will want to double check the following:

• Your system meets the minimum system requirements outlined in step one and set to use non-Intel graphics.
  
• You are logged into the same account on both RDC and in VR.
  
• Your home network is set to private[support.microsoft.com].
  
• You have allowed RDC to connect through your firewall. If you do not remember getting the prompt, check your Windows Defender Firewall settings and make sure the box to notify you is checked. (By default, this is already checked.)
  
  You can uninstall and reinstall RDC to make the prompt show up again once this is enabled.

Audio

If you have issues with your audio, please change your default audio device in Windows to your standard speakers. If you are using an audio headset, try disconnecting it or turning it off.

Video

You can adjust the quality of your stream by clicking on the button next to Stream Resolution and Stream bitrate. The higher you have these set, the more bandwidth you will need.

Cycling through these options may also help if people are having trouble seeing your screen.

If you are getting a black screen, please ensure that you have a discrete GPU from Nvidia or AMD. Integrated Intel graphics chips have a high chance of not working, especially older ones. If you have a computer with both, please make sure that the Remote Desktop Client is set to use the non-Intel graphics.

Controlling the Remote Desktop

Using your VR controllers, point at the screen to move the mouse cursor. Press the trigger if the laser pointer does not appear right away. The virtual keyboard can also be toggled using the left menu button on your controller, or by accessing it via the Tools & Toys section of the Bigscreen menu.
You can also use input devices connected to the PC you are using. A wireless keyboard/mouse can work quite well.

Other Tips

• If possible, have the PC connected to the network using a wired connection.
  
• Similarly, having the Quest or Quest 2 on a 5 GHz Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) network is ideal.
  
• Ensure your copy of Windows 10 is up to date.
  
• You will also want to make sure your GPU drivers are up to date.
  
• If you are using AMD Graphics make sure you are using `AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 18.8.1 (18.30.01.01)` or newer.
  
• If you have more than one monitor, Remote Desktop can only stream your primary monitor.
  
• Both the Remote Desktop and your mobile VR headset's copy of Bigscreen will need to be on the same version of Bigscreen to connect. If you updated one recently, but not the other, that might cause connection failures.
  
• There will always be some amount of latency, more than with PC VR, even with very good connections because you are attempting to streaming your entire screen to in real time
  
• When you are not streaming to other people, Remote Desktop will stream at higher quality, and 60 fps. When you have desktop sharing on, it will be limited to 30 fps.
  
• If you have Oculus Link[support.oculus.com], you can run Bigscreen in the same way as you would use a Rift S. In that case, you should not be launching Bigscreen in Remote Desktop mode.

[stevelamb01]

sorry if this been been answered before when using remote desktop what should i have my audio set to so others can hear and theres no way to refresh audio when using remote desktop? its always an audio issues while trying to set a room up a video showing what to actually do would be a great addition. all i seem to get is audio from my pc speakers and headset which is annoying

[Juryteacher67]

it just doesnt find my room

[skywalkrz]

The guide needs a Troubleshooting section for the error "Failed to join room. Please check the room ID or your internet connection and try again" when both of these issues are clearly working properly.

[Peregrine]

@kasumi.kirby As mentioned in the summary, this is for Oculus Go and Oculus Quest users. There's no reason at all to ever want to use this on the Vive, since you can just run Bigscreen normally there. You do not need a separate program to stream your desktop.

[kasumi.kirby]

This is no go for the HTC vive

[Peregrine]

This is still up to date. Make sure you're hitting play from your library as the guide instructs.

[ShawnDevinInCarlsbad]

This guide is out of date. When we hit play, it does not offer the option to go into remote desktop mode.

[Tiberian]

Thanks for the guide, when I launch it on my desktop it goes strait into the game, it doesn't give me the screen to add my code and connect. any help there?

[ScottyD]

This guide was very helpful in getting setup for the first time. Thanks