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How to enable Casting on the Oculus Go VR headset

The new Cast feature (far left button) in the Oculus Go Sharing menu.
The new Cast feature (far left button) in the Oculus Go Sharing menu.

Since I live in Hawaii it took almost two weeks for my Oculus Go headset to update to firmware 3.51.xxx and from what I’ve read the rollout of updates and features appears to be location-based. I didn’t want to wait almost two weeks again for my Go to get the casting feature update so here’s how I enabled it.

  • Install the Oculus app onto an Android smartphone (I usually use my iPhone but I do also have a Samsung Galaxy).
  • Install the Fake GPS app onto the Android phone.
  • Set location to New York
  • Launch the Android Oculus app and connect to the Go.
  • Restart the Go once or twice until the ‘Cast’ button is enabled in sharing.
Start casting in the Oculus Go.
Start casting in the Oculus Go.

So it does appear that the rollout of features/firmware is location based as I immediately got Casting enabled just by changing my location. Same firmware as before. Immediately I got a push notification on my iPhone after I hit the Cast button in the Go and it just works.

The Cast is in widescreen, likely 16:9 ratio, with the horizontal FOV almost equal to what you can se in the Go while staring straight ahead. The vertical FOV is cropped in the Cast probably due to the aspect ratio of the cast. So if you are planning to make a tutorial and want the viewer to see what buttons/actions you are clicking on in the Go you should probably be looking directly at the area. I was pressing some buttons in the Wander app and that bottom portion of the screen was cut-off in the Cast.

There is no audio passed through in the cast probably to prevent an echo for the Go wearer as there is a slight lag in the Cast and it would be distracting. Also, this saves bandwidth in the Cast.

There are some apps that don’t allow casting. In the MelodyVR and Netflix apps it says:

Casting/Livestreaming Not Available
This content can’t be viewed outside of your headset

I’m guessing we will see a bunch of app updates for companies who want to prevent their content from appearing in a cast due to copyright issues.

If you have an iPhone/iPad receiving the Cast you can mirror via AirPlay to an AppleTV though still no audio and there appears to be an increase in lag.


Short sample of Casting from the Oculus Go and recorded on an iPhone.

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Remembering one who gave all for his co-workers on 9/11

The name of Rick Rescorla engraved at the site of the World Trade Center in New York. I shot this in May 2018. Photo by Baron Sekiya
The name of Rick Rescorla engraved at the site of the World Trade Center in New York. I shot this in May 2018. Photo by Baron Sekiya

One of the names we remember today is Rick Rescorla an American hero who gave everything on September 11, 2001, to save all his co-workers in the World Trade Center attacks. Originally a British soldier hailing from Hayle, Cornwall who joined the U.S. Army to serve in Vietnam and ultimately was a security officer for Morgan Stanley. Rescorla got all of his fellow employees out of the South Tower before it fell.

If you haven’t read his amazing story you owe yourself a great read with Heart of a Soldier.