How do I cast a headset to a TV, browser, or screen?

For: Instructors and IT Admins

Casting mirrors what a learner sees in the headset onto a TV, monitor, or browser window, so the rest of the class or a remote observer can follow along. This guide covers every casting method Transfr supports, how to cast when your network is locked down, and what to do when a cast is slow or glitchy.

Overview

Casting sends a live copy of the headset’s display to another screen. You don’t need it to run a sim — learners see everything they need inside the headset — but it’s the difference between watching one learner work and teaching a whole class.

Use casting when you want to:

• Demo a sim to the class before handing out headsets.
• Watch a learner’s screen in real time to spot confusion or a stuck step.
• Show a sim during a parent night, board presentation, or training session.

• Chromecast to a TV (Quest 2) — best for classrooms with a TV and open Wi-Fi.
• Computer or browser via ManageXR (Quest 2) — best for casting to a laptop; the wired option also works on locked-down networks.
• Browser or Amazon Fire TV (Pico Neo 3) — best for Pico classrooms.

Note: The Quest steps below apply to Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3S. Browser (ManageXR) casting is not available on older legacy Quest devices — use Chromecast on those.

Cast a Quest 2 to a TV with Chromecast

Set up a Chromecast once, then start casting from the headset before each session. Plan about 10 minutes for first-time setup.

You’ll need: a Chromecast, an HDMI display, a phone with the Google Home app, and the Quest 2, Chromecast, and phone all on the same Wi-Fi network.

Set up the Chromecast (one time)

1. Connect the Chromecast’s power cable and plug it in.
2. Plug the Chromecast’s HDMI cable into your TV or monitor.
3. On the display, switch to that HDMI input. The Chromecast setup screen appears, showing a code.
4. On your phone, open the Google Home app and start adding a new device.
5. When the app asks if the code matches your display, confirm it.
6. Choose a room, or create one named Transfr Casting so it stands out in the list later.
7. Select the same Wi-Fi network the Quest 2 uses, and enter the password.
8. Wait for the Chromecast to connect. When it’s done, a default photo slideshow appears on the display — that’s your success cue.

You can skip the Google Assistant, email, and tutorial prompts during setup.

Cast from the Quest 2 (before each session)

1. Confirm the headset and your phone are on the same Wi-Fi network as the Chromecast.
2. In the headset’s navigation panel, select Screencasting (the monitor-and-wave icon). If the headset shows a choice between Meta and ManageXR, select Meta first.
3. Select the room you named (for example, Transfr Casting).
4. The headset’s view appears on your display within a few seconds. Start the sim.

Casting to the Meta Quest mobile app and casting to a computer from this menu are currently unavailable — use the room you created. If the room name doesn’t appear, the headset and Chromecast aren’t on the same network — recheck step 1.

Cast a Quest 2 to a computer (browser)

The ManageXR screencasting web app mirrors the headset to a browser window on your computer — useful for a quick check on a laptop, or when you need to record or share a screen over a video call. You start the connection over a USB cable, then choose a wired or wireless cast.

You’ll need: a Quest 2 or Quest 3S, a computer running a Chromium browser (Chrome or Microsoft Edge), and a USB cable that can transmit data (not a charge-only cable).

Note: Browser casting is more than the two steps below — follow the on-screen prompts in the headset as you go. Depending on your setup, the headset may give you a unique URL to open in your computer’s browser.

Start casting

1. On your computer, open the ManageXR casting tool. Which address to use depends on the headset’s Meta OS version:
   • Meta OS version 68 or newer: console.managexr.com/casting.
   • Older than version 68: casting.managexr.com.
2. Connect the headset to your computer with a USB cable.
3. Click the blue Add button in the left navigation bar.
4. Find your device in the pop-up and click Connect. (Not seeing your device? Make sure developer mode is enabled — it’s on by default for Transfr-leased headsets.)
5. Click the blue Connect button in the left nav, and follow any prompts that appear.
6. In the headset, select Allow on the “Allow USB Debugging” screen.
7. Choose a casting option — wired or wireless.

Wired vs. wireless

• Wired casting has better quality and lower latency, but the USB cable has to stay connected the whole time. It doesn’t use your network, so it works even on locked-down Wi-Fi.
• Wireless casting needs your computer and the headset on the same Wi-Fi network. It opens a new browser window, so allow pop-ups from the site. Once the cast starts, you can unplug the USB cable. Wireless casting is not available on the Pico Neo 3.

For step-by-step detail from ManageXR, see Casting a device with ManageXR.com/casting.

Cast a Pico Neo 3

The Pico Neo 3 uses its own built-in Pico Casting tool. You can cast to a browser on a computer or to an Amazon Fire TV.

Cast to a browser

1. Connect the Pico headset and your computer to the same Wi-Fi network. (Suggested browsers: Chrome or Edge.)
2. From the Home screen navigation panel, hover over the sharing icon and select Screencasting.
3. Select Use Pico Casting, then Cast to Browser.
4. On your computer, open a browser and enter the screencast web address shown in the headset.
5. On the “Welcome to Pico Screencast” page, select Start Screencast.
6. Back in the headset, a “Screencast to External Devices?” message appears — select Allow.

To stop casting: from the Home screen navigation panel select Screencast, hover over Cast to Browser, and select the red End Screencast button.

Cast to an Amazon Fire TV

1. Connect both the Fire TV Stick and the headset to the same Wi-Fi network. On a dual-band network, make sure both are on the same band (both 2.4 GHz or both 5 GHz).
2. Press and hold the Home button on your Fire TV remote and select Mirroring. Leave the Mirroring screen open on the TV.
3. In the headset, select Screencasting from the navigation menu.
4. On the Pico Cast page, select the mirror icon in the top-right corner.

The first time you cast to a Fire TV, the headset will prompt you to turn off chromatic aberration correction and restart the headset. Adjust the setting as directed, restart, then repeat the steps above.

For PICO’s own instructions, see PICO: cast your screen to a TV, TV box, or laptop.

Does casting carry the audio?

Casting mirrors the picture, but sim audio doesn’t always follow it to the other screen:

• Chromecast (Quest 2 to a TV) — audio plays through the TV along with the video.
• Browser casting (Quest 2 or Pico) — only the picture is sent; sim audio stays in the headset.

If you need room audio and your method doesn’t carry it, connect a Bluetooth or wired speaker to the headset so the class can hear the sim.

If casting is blocked on your network

Many organizations block headset video from streaming to other devices. If casting fails even though everything is on the same network, your IT team needs to allow it.

Let your IT team know that Transfr Quest 2 headsets are locked-down Business devices that run only Transfr apps — there’s no YouTube, Netflix, game demos, or general internet access. Your network team can allow casting from the headset to the Chromecast.

Two alternatives if IT can’t open the network:

• Mobile hotspot — a secure Wi-Fi network without the same firewall restrictions (from a MiFi unit like Verizon’s Jetpack up to a Cradlepoint system). These need a data plan, and you should cast one headset at a time over a hotspot because the video stream is large.
• Dedicated Wi-Fi network — some IT teams set up a password-protected network with no firewall restrictions, reserved just for the headsets and the Chromecast.
• Wired browser casting — on the Quest 2, casting over a USB cable with the ManageXR wired option avoids the network entirely.

Troubleshooting a slow or glitchy cast

• The cast won’t start or the app can’t find your headset. Use a Chromium browser (Chrome or Microsoft Edge). Make sure developer mode (USB debugging) is enabled — it’s on by default for Transfr-leased headsets. Confirm your USB cable can transmit data and isn’t a charge-only cable.
• Another program is interfering. Browser casting won’t work while other programs are talking to the headset. Close the ManageXR Device Setup Tool, SideQuest, Android File Transfer, Android Studio, and similar tools, then try again.
• The screen flickers black mid-stream. This usually means a system notification briefly interrupted the stream. It resumes on its own.
• The cast is laggy or the video is choppy. Wired casting has better quality and lower latency than wireless — switch to it if you can. Over a mobile hotspot, cast only one headset at a time, since the video stream is large.
• The Chromecast room name doesn’t appear. The headset and Chromecast aren’t on the same Wi-Fi network. Reconnect both to the same network and try again.

Notes and caveats

• Casting quality and setup steps differ by headset — always confirm which device (Quest 2 or Pico Neo 3) you’re working with before following steps.
• Casting is for observing and demoing. It doesn’t affect what the learner sees or does in the headset, and pausing or closing the cast doesn’t pause the sim.

Related articles

• Quest 2 Quick Start & Hardware Guides
• Pico Neo 3 Headset Guide
• What does Transfr need on our network?

Still need help? Contact our support team.

Last updated: July 24, 2026