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  • Quest to find best VR Player

Quick background; bought the Quest 2 about a year ago, being a complete novice with VR and a non-gamer. Found my laptop doesn't have the right hardware to sync up to Quest, so started out playing SLR content through the web browser. Then discovered Deo, and shortly after purchased Pigasus. I liked Deo for the settings and passthrough adjustments, but video quality/clarity seemed better on Pigasus. Most videos I would run through Pigasus, but certain videos like Virtualrealporn stuff and a few others would run Deo as there is no horizontal adjustments in Pigasus to get those videos to look more realistically proportioned.

A couple weeks ago Pigasus kept crashing every time I tried to play a video for three days straight, so started looking at other players. Read good things about Heresphere but as I have iPhone and an outdated laptop, it didn't look like I'd be able to get it on Quest. So decided to give Skybox a shot. I'd have to say although lacking behind others in certain things, Skybox might be my favorite of the bunch I've tried as the videos right from the jump look the most realistic in regards to depth of perception and realistic proportions of objects, people and space--a kind of feels like you're in the room experience. As far as video quality goes, Pigasus has the best imo, and Deo and Skybox seem about even, whereas Deo has the best controls and adjustments, followed by Pigasus then Skybox. But as the point of VR is immersion, the realistic aspect of Skybox has made that my go-to for VR (while still using Pigasus--which seems to have resolved the crashing issue--and Deo for a handful of certain vids that look better on one or the other).

Anyway, thought this might be helpful for people in the same boat I was, and to possibly open up discussion for people way more knowledgeable about this stuff than novices like me as to help point us in the direction to find the best viewing experience with a Quest 2 only and no desktop/laptop capabilities.

Yes with even a very old laptop you'll be fine with Heresphere (Sidequest version). It's just going to grab the files from your laptop wirelessly, but the hard work of decoding and playing the scenes is done on the headset. I would recommend XBVR to manage your files, it integrates perfectly with Heresphere. This will be a way better experience than anything else IMHO - although you'd still want to use DEO to browse SLR for new content.

    vrpicasso

    What I meant with Heresphere is it didn't look like there was a way to get the actual player on Quest 2. Not in the app store on there and I guess I couldn't figure out how to do it through the Quest browser if it's possible with sidequest, cause as I mentioned I tried before with Quest Link and wirelessly connecting to my laptop and said wasn't compatible and I wasn't able to access anything on there. Thought I remember reading there was a way to get Heresphere if you had droid phone through the Google app store on there but not iPhone, which is what I have.

        doorsareopen if you want the best heresphere is the answer. you can install sidequest on laptop, connect quest 2 to laptop with usb cable, search heresphere on sidequest store and install. might need to enable developer mode on the quest 2 sideload but thats easy and there are lots of guides online. heresphere also a fully functional free version btw.

          doorsareopen there's 2 versions of HS, one on steam for playing files on PC, one on Quest for playing files natively on the quest 2. You want the second one. It does exist. It's not on the Quest app store, though.
          https://itch.io/t/2563351/newbie-how-do-i-install-heresphere-on-my-quest-2#:~:text=In%20your%20Quest%202%20app,install%20the%20SideQuest%20advanced%20installer.

          Any probs, go on the Heresphere discord. Here's the invite: https://discord.gg/gpb9NdKtJb

            doorsareopen This guide was helpful for me when I wanted to install HS and had never sideloaded anything before:

              Install Sidequest on your pc.
              Download the heresphere apk.
              Plug your quest2 into a usb port on your pc.
              Start Sidequest (first time you may have to click on a box inside your q2 to allow computer to connect), then top right, square box with down arrow is install apk.

              Yeah, it’s a bit of a hassle but you can get Heresphere onto the Quest 2 via sideloading from the Sidequest site. It took me a bit of messing around but I got there in the end.

              If you want to watch downloaded content on there though (like Skybox), you have to also get another app called XBVR to work in conjunction with it which also can be a bit of messing around to get it to work.

              Skybox is a lot more user friendly for watching your downloads (I just don’t like the lack of customisation options for the camera controls) and DeoVR more user friendly for streaming (especially for SLR) but most people will tell you Heresphere has the better picture quality.

              I tend to use Heresphere for downloads for the control options. I tend to use DeoVR for streaming apart from for POVR and Naughty America as they have their own sections on Heresphere to watch their scenes similar to what SLR have on DeoVR.