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While solutions for wireless HMD mirroring on supported apps are available for Oculus Go, there are times when you simply want a wired solution. This is why we wanted to provide you an outline for mirroring your Oculus Go via USB to Micro USB cable. This mirroring process is relatively easy to setup, and will come in handy when you are showing off your latest experience, even in a space where the internet may be unreliable.
Looking for any other creative solutions to elevate your VR experience, or have questions about this how-to guide? Feel free to share in the comments section below.
USB → Micro USB cable (not included with the Oculus Go Headset)
What You Need: Software
Android Debug Bridge (ADB) - A versatile command line tool that allows a client (in this case your development machine) to send commands to a daemon which runs commands on a device. Once you download ADB or Android Studio with SDK Tools, add ADB platform-tools and tools directories to your system Path variable in Windows or OSX.
VLC Media Player - A media player like VLC will display the mirrored screen. Using tools from VLC, you will have the ability to zoom into one eye or the other. Standard mirroring will create a two-eyed view of the content, displayed as two lens-shaped circles on the screen. With VLC, there are tools in-place that allow you to pick one section of the mirrored image and focus on that image so the audience will see a full-screen view of your application.
Log into your Oculus account and pair your Go headset with the mobile application.
Within the mobile application, place Oculus Go into developer mode : Settings → More Settings → Developer Mode
Connect the Oculus Go to your PC/MAC via USB → Micro USB cable
Open Command Line Interface on your PC/MAC:
Windows PC: Type “cmd” within the Windows Search bar, right click on Command Prompt .exe file and run as administrator
Mac: Open Terminal app found here: Applications → Utilities → Terminal
In your command line interface, type 'adb devices' and hit enter. If you see a device ID returned along with the word 'device' then you are set. If you see a device ID along with something like 'denied' or 'inactive' then you need to put on the Oculus Go and click the 'allow this device to access files' prompt.
Once you see the correct ####### device format, enter one of the commands below:
After “|” make sure the /Applications/VLC.app/... is the correct path to the VLC Media Player on your device
If everything is working correctly, VLC should open and begin to mirror your Oculus Go screen. If you are not wearing the Oculus Go or covering the internal proximity sensor (located inside the headset near the top, between the lenses), nothing will display on the mirrored screen.
Wired Mirroring Process: Troubleshooting
Audio Output Not Available For Wired Mirroring
Audio mirroring is not supported within this method of wired mirroring on the Oculus Go. To circumvent this you can run audio to your computer from the 3mm headphone jack, located next to the Micro USB input on the Oculus Go.
No Interactive Zoom / “Double Vision”
To repair this issue, simply follow the steps below:
Open VLC Media Player
Navigate to: Tools → Effects and Filters → Video Effects → Geometry → Interactive Zoom
In the top left corner of the application, you will notice a black square that covers a rectangular field of the mirrored image. You can move this rectangular field or drag to enlarge it, this will effectively crop and zoom the specific area of the Oculus Go that you want to mirror (see screenshot above)
Latency Challenges
In regard to this process for wired mirroring, you should expect a 2-4 second delay. Keep this delay in mind when presenting, do your best to avoid quick bursts of movement, narrate things as they happen and not ahead of time, etc.
After being connected for a while without use, the mirrored screen may appear pixilated when jumping back into VR. Close the stream between uses to prevent this issue.
Obviously, we hope this helps if you find yourself in a location with sub-par internet, or a situation where a wired mirroring solution is the only one available. As noted above, if there are any other insights/learnings you would like for us to publish on the Oculus Developer Blog, or you have further thoughts to add to this post, feel free to add them to the comments section below. Thanks and keep up the great work!
