Whether you just happen to be bringing your Oculus Quest to use one you arrive at your destination or expressly for use during the flight, there’s one obvious question popping in your head.
Is Oculus Quest Allowed On Planes? To make it short, the answer is yes. But it’s more complicated than that!
Like with many Electronics, the Oculus Quest is totally fine for you to bring onto a plane and use during your flight to help you entertain yourself, kill time, and not be terribly bored. Just ask the flight attendant when is it okay to use it (the general rule is after take-off).
Although accepted officially and legal – it might be frowned upon by some and there have been some isolated reports of people being denied using their gear during a flight. During this, you have to state calmly that all personal electronics are permitted by the TSA for use in-flight. The only exception being the Samsung Galaxy Note 7… because it explodes randomly.
So, don’t sweat it. Many people are hesitant to bring their device with them on a plane because they see the Oculus Quest as some sort of extraordinary device, and it is, but not legally. Because it is an electronic device for personal use like any other, you are entitled to carry it and use it at your leisure – as long as you don’t bother anyone else.
Why use the Oculus Quest during a flight?
Everybody who is on a plane can not wait to get off of it, this is a fact. The only thing anyone can do, though, is to try to forget that one small fact – either by distraction or sleeping. That’s why they play movies the whole time during particularly long flights, and definitely why they serve alcoholic beverages: To make it easier to pass the time.
And what better to cancel out your surroundings than an actual virtual reality set? It takes you out of the dreadsome flight and puts you wherever else you wanna be. The only downside being that you probably will not have internet connection – unless you’re on one of those planes that have wi-fi.
It is important to note -in case you haven’t seen it yourself- that it has been done before many times; Oculus Quest has already has its onboard debut. Several people have already taken their device with them on a flight and reported about their experience. Most of them have had good experiences but do agree that you have to be discreet. You’re on a public place where space is very, very restricted, and it’s very important you are aware of that.
Will it work even if the plane is moving?
The Oculus Quest comes with a number of different things for it to detect movement (mainly your own movement) – and that could potentially mess with its performance.
Hopefully, you won’t have any problems. Its internal hardware will sense that, technically, you’re moving – because the plane itself is. Thanks to the cameras, though, the Oculus Quest will ultimately judge that there isn’t any movement going on and won’t mess with your experience too much.
If you find that you’re having difficulties, be sure to use stationary boundary. Even so, the Oculus Quest will become confused if your plane is a little turbulence – just be patient and wait it out!
No matter how you look at it, the Oculus Quest is increasing rapidly in popularity across all ages, which means we will be seeing it more and more often in places that we, right now, don’t think that they fit in. An airplane is a clear example – if someone were to tell you a few years ago about virtual reality sets being used on airplanes, you’d probably laugh in their face.
Will I get Motion Sickness?
First thing that comes to mind for many people is motion sickness. Planes can be particularly bad for people who suffer from it – but if you use this right, you might be able to give yourself some relief.
While you won’t be able to get rid of the sensation that you’re “in motion”, immersing yourself in another activity, with the help of your Oculus Quest, could be a great help in forgetting that you are. And that, by itself, could make it go away if only for a while.
However, we recommend that you use Oculus Quest to do something that does not involve a lot of movement on screen, or it could actually make your motion sickness worse. Try playing something relaxing and quiet if you feel sick – something like Bogo might be able to provide some instant relief.
Using your Oculus Quest during the Flight
Now that we’ve cleared the basics, let’s look at which situations are totally fine to use the Oculus Quest and which aren’t. We’ve already established that officially and legally, there is absolutely no reason why you wouldn’t be allowed to use your device on a plane – but we all know it’s not as simple as that.
These are just a few tips we’re giving you for you to be aware of other people while you’re using your device on a plane. You don’t want to be the first guy they kick out of a plane for using an Oculus Quest device onboard.
Be mindful of what you’re doing
You’re not the only person on the plane. That means that you have to think a little before deciding what exactly you’re gonna do with your Oculus Quest. If you’re thinking of rocking some Beat Saber – don’t. Please don’t be that person. Besides, you’re ruining it for the rest of us.
The safest course of action is to either watch a movie or a TV show (if you know there’s not gonna be internet on the plane, be prepared and download something to watch) or stick to a very quiet activity that you can easily do sitting down and with minimal movement. You don’t wanna hit the flight attendant with your hands or wake someone up during a night flight.
Pay attention to those around you
If you’re flying alone and you are the lucky owner of an Oculus Quest, then you’re probably going to take it with you so the flight isn’t terribly boring.
If you do this, please let those sitting next to you know what you’re about to do. Best case scenario, they become a little confused at first – but some people could feel a little against having someone next to them using a VR set. In that case, it’s better to let it go. It’s just gonna ruin your experience anyway.
Worst case scenario, you have someone weird next to you who could potentially freak out when you put on your Oculus Quest – that’s why you gotta pay attention, read the people who’re next to you and then determine whether it’s okay for you to use your Oculus Quest or not.
Respect the rules
When flying, there’s a lot of rules about electronics. These are in place to make the plane organized – to help flight attendants keep a general good, safe mood when aboard a plane.
Although some people feel compelled to completely ignore these rules, you can’t. Because this is still a relatively new thing to the public, not everyone’s gonna be okay with you using your Oculus Quest before take-off even if they themselves are using their laptop (effectively ignoring the rules, too).
If you think yourself too cool for school and are already with your VR headset on, completely immersed into Beat Saber while the flight attendants are still demonstrating airplanes rules and safety measures, you risk yourself a fair warning or worse.
Respect and, more importantly, observe rules of conduct and common courtesy when using your Oculus Quest aboard a plane.
Oculus Quest on International Flights
This is the riskier bet. International, long flights (more than 6 hours) are the absolute ideal occasion for one to bring their Oculus Quest and hopefully have some real fun, making the flight feel shorter than it actually is.
But International Flights are not like domestic ones – you could find yourself in the middle of two people, or generally in crowded spaces where it wouldn’t be wise to whip out your device. And it might actually prove too much of a burden if you’re carrying significant baggage by yourself.
Where you’re flying is very important, too. Do not even think about taking your Oculus Quest with you if you’re going to a country where you know such a thing could attract unwanted attention. Most places are fine, though, if you’re discreet enough.
So – ideally, bringing your Oculus Quest with you on an international flight is a yes. As long as you don’t bother anyone, rules are pretty much the same as domestic US flights. Just be sure you got at least a couple movies downloaded (we’ll show you how on a different article).
Share with us your experiences. Did you take your Oculus Quest with you on an international flight? How was it?
