Virtual Reality (VR) may have begun as a niche gaming product, but its benefits have entered into the business world. The technology is still evolving and will continue to seep into the mainstream as it becomes more widely adopted. Industries such as construction, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, entertainment and education are taking advantage of virtual reality’s ability to immerse users in realistic experiences.
One of the most important applications of virtual reality is training simulations. Many enterprise applications are enabling workers to learn faster and retain information. Safety applications are helping companies train employees to reduce hazards and improve employee health. As the world becomes further connected through technology, VR enables companies to improve different customer and employee experiences. The result is greater customer engagement, employee satisfaction, additional revenue, and immense cost savings.
If the advantages of virtual reality interests you, you may consider building your own virtual reality application. While developing your first virtual reality application will require the expertise of a technology partner, we want to give you some insight into how to utilize one of the most popular VR headsets available today, the Oculus Quest.
The Oculus Quest is a powerful virtual reality headset developed by Oculus and supported by their parent company, Facebook. The Oculus Quest has a robust app store with hundreds of consumer VR applications. At Invonto, we develop enterprise virtual reality applications using the Oculus and HTC VR headsets.
While there are many choices today for a VR headset; portability, relatively lower costs, and sufficient performance makes Oculus Quest a great choice for the business users. Invonto has been running VR Roadshow events with a series of interactive VR demonstrations using the Oculus Quest headset. Most people visiting one of our roadshow events found virtual reality technology very useful for business applications.
Understanding capabilities of the Oculus Quest and its potential for enterprise VR apps can guide a company's VR development strategy. In this post, we will discuss how your company can prepare to use the Oculus Quest for your own virtual reality applications.
Other Things To Consider
Oftentimes, you will need to demonstrate a virtual reality application to one or more viewers. A large digital display like a smart TV will allow you to cast your experience to the screen for others to view. To accomplish this, you will need a Google Chromecast device or a Chromecast-ready digital display.
Adding Your Virtual Reality Application To The Oculus Quest
Oculus has an app store similar to Apple’s and Google’s app store. This is where you can find popular consumer Oculus VR applications like Beat Saber and Superhot. However, enterprise applications must often remain closed off to the public and are therefore not available through the Oculus Store. Instead, enterprise VR applications must be installed directly onto the headset.
Pair Headset with the Oculus App
To get started, you must register a developer account on the Oculus Developer Dashboard. Once you have registered your account, you can install the official Oculus app on your mobile device. The Oculus mobile app is available on both the Apple Store and Google Play Store. Open the Oculus app and sign in with your account information.
The next step is to pair the Oculus app with your Oculus headset. To do this, you must navigate to the “Settings” tab located at the bottom bar of the Oculus app. Look for the “Pair New Headset” option and select it. From the available options select “Oculus Quest”. Go through the in-app instructions to finish pairing your headset.
Enabling Developer Mode
In order to install virtual reality applications outside of the Oculus Store, you must enable the Developer Mode. Within the Oculus app, click on the paired Oculus Quest headset icon and select “More Settings”. Select “Developer Mode” and toggle to activate Developer mode. Once completed, you must reboot the Oculus Quest.
How To Install SideQuest
SideQuest is a great platform that allows you to download an app or game that is not on the Oculus Store. The process is known as sideloading which can be a complicated process, but SideQuest keeps it simple. It is important to know that SideQuest does not tolerate pirated games. SideQuest is specifically designed to host virtual reality applications that may be early access builds or closed applications.
SideQuest is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. You can download the latest version using this link. Follow the on-screen installation instructions and launch SideQuest. Using your Oculus charging cable or a USB-C to USB adapter, plug in your Oculus headset into the PC.
Once connected, you must allow debugging by approving a popup on the Oculus Quest headset viewer. Ensure the checkmark is selected for “Always Allow From This Computer”. If everything is working properly, a green dot will appear in the top left corner within the SideQuest application window along with the device’s IP address and battery level.
Installing New Apps On Headset Using SideQuest
Now that we have installed SideQuest and connected it to the Oculus Quest, we can begin installing new virtual reality applications on the headset. Within SideQuest’s top bar, click on the down arrow icon to select “Install APK file from folder”. Your file browser window will appear and you can select the appropriate APK file from your local computer. Once SideQuest confirms that all tasks are completed, you can try the latest version of your virtual reality application.
Conclusion
Virtual Reality (VR) has immense potential for companies across industries. Oculus Quest is one of the most popular VR headsets for enterprise VR applications. Understanding Oculus Quest’s capabilities and relatively lower costs can help companies benefit significantly from their VR initiatives.