Can't play VR wired: all help guides won't work
Hello all. I've been researching and testing on and off for weeks and finally decided to ask for help.
For starters, I'm not a tech Luddite but neither am I a tech wiz. I would argue I'm above average but not quite "nerd" level. I have wanted to play VR BADLY for years and finally could afford it with Quest 3S. So I'm trying to set it up but no matter what guide I follow, the quality is trash, barely playable (pixelated, lagging to the point of "black" screen, stuttering and missing inputs). I'm almost ready to give up. I've never had to work this hard in my life to play a game other than modded games with outdated mods on old games.
Current setup: Wifi is on other side of house from computer. Router is rented through property management. Not within my control. Computer meets required specs but is on the low end. Need to save up for a better GPU provided my power supply can handle it.
Latest problem: I followed a guide (I tried to supply a youtube link but it auto-removed the post) for wired PCVR and everything works EXCEPT that the "VR mode" button won't appear. I looked in my Steam settings for taskbar buttons and it is checked but still won't appear. I tested USB connection and it passes. Everything should work but it doesn't. Every work around I've looked up simply doesn't work or does not apply.
Next proposed solution: Ethernet direct from router to computer. Cable would need to be 60+ feet and go through multiple rooms. I rent a room and don't want to damage the flooring of the main space with adhesive cable covers. But if this addresses latency and bandwidth I can just use SteamVR which connects without fail, just not well.
Is there something I'm missing? Is there a cheap alternative? I'm running on financially harsh times so I cannot drop hundreds of dollars on a mesh Wifi 6 system and Virtual Desktop which seems to be the most popular (and most expensive) solution.
Honestly I just want it to work reliably. It doesn't need to be great settings. I'm running it wirelessly like a potato in the main room next to the router now but it's still stuttering which makes games nearly unplayable. This is why I opted for the wired route to skip the rest. I'll try to supply info to the best of my ability but please understand I don't have a computer science degree nor 50 hours to mess around in settings and testing. At that point I'm returning the device and buying an old vive on auction.
edited for clarity.