How To Use Live Overlay On The Oculus Quest 2

Learn how to take your VR gameplay videos to the next level on the Oculus Quest using this neat little feature.

Available now on Oculus Quest headsets as part of update v29, Live Overlay allows you to layer yourself over VR gameplay using your smartphone camera, no editing or green screen equipment required. All you need is a compatible iPhone and a flat surface in which to place it. While not as impressive as mixed reality capture, this is still a great tool for those looking to take their VR gameplay videos to the next level without having to invest in additional equipment. 

But enough talk! Let me show you how this works.

First, you’ll want to turn on your Oculus Quest headset and head to your game or app of choice. Next, head to the Oculus app on your smartphone and select the “Cast” option in the upper left corner of the menu. From here, you’ll select the VR headset you’d like to cast.

Once activated, you should see footage from your headset streaming directly to your smartphone. Above the record button, you’ll see the new “Live Overlay” option. Aim the camera of your smartphone at the desired subject and activate the feature. Boom! You should now see yourself layered directly over the VR gameplay. Adjust the angle for the perfect shot and you’re ready to rock. 

For the best results possible, make sure your shooting space has adequate lighting. You don’t need any professional lighting equipment per se, but the more visible you are to the camera, the better the image quality. We also recommend shooting against a solid color backdrop.

While a greenscreen will definitely prove effective, a simple blank wall will do just fine. Just be sure your outfit doesn’t match the background; this should help the app better differentiate you from your surroundings. I also found that some games work better than others; having Live Overlay enabled proved to be fairly taxing on my iPhone 12. Still, this is a neat little feature, one I imagine will only improve over time. 

And that’s it! Painfully simple, I know. Now, obviously, the results aren’t nearly as impressive as manually compositing yourself over the gameplay, but this is still an excellent tool for those looking for a quick and easy way to take their gameplay footage to the next level. 

Unfortunately, Live Overlay only supports recent iPhone models and up at this time; no word yet on whether or not the feature will be available on Android devices.

Feature Image Credit: VRScout

Source: https://vrscout.com/news/how-to-use-live-overlay-on-the-oculus-quest-2/