While we didn’t see it documented anywhere, our Xbox Series X controller has a USB-C port, and our Meta Quest 2 has a USB-C port so, you can see where this is going. It turns out that this totally works, and we could activate menu choices and scroll up and down text pages using the controller by simply plugging it in. We also made sure there were no batteries in the controller, so there was no doubt the magic was happening over the cable.

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Most retail settings, including Loblaws-owned grocery stores, already have closed-circuit television cameras, yet there are reports that suggest retail theft and violent incidents have increased in Canada, becoming a $5-billion annual problem.

Body cameras will not stop violent encounters or end retail theft, and the expenses associated with equipping workers with cameras will surely end up costing customers. Inflation of food prices is a leading reason people steal, so increased costs of goods to offset the expense of the cameras could just lead to more retail theft.

Connecting your controller via Bluetooth couldn’t be any easier. Before we show you the steps, please note that it’s not possible to provide screenshots of all the menus involved in the procedure, because casting, screenshots, and screen recordings don’t work when Bluetooth pairing is activated. With that said, here are the steps to follow:

Erick Laming is an assistant professor in criminology and sociology at Trent University. His main research examines police use of force and accountability. Christopher J. Schneider is professor of sociology at Brandon University and author of Policing and Social Media: Social Control in an Era of Digital Media, 2nd edition (Lexington Books, 2024).

7. Put your controller in pairing mode. This differs from controller to controller, so check its documentation or look it up online.

People should feel and be safe at work and not be subjected to abuse from customers. However, from the limited available evidence, it is not clear body worn cameras are the solution.

Now you can use the controller with apps and games that are compatible with it. If you want to know whether a given game or app supports a controller, head over to its store page and if it says “Supports Gamepad,” then you’re good to go.(Image Credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Questions remain about whether the devices will be effective in retail establishments in Canada or if they could increase the costs of goods.

The Meta Quest and Meta Quest 2 both come with a pair of brilliant Touch controllers that let you feel and interact with the VR world. However, they aren’t always the best and most convenient solution.Fortunately, it’s easy to use a standard game controller in either wired or wired mode with either headset (though Quest 2 is far more common).

Select Loblaws-owned grocery stores in Calgary and Saskatoon have begun a three-month pilot project that will see security officials and management equipped with the cameras, intending to reduce incidents of violence in stores and curb retail theft.

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Retailers in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States have used body cameras for years. Generally, retailers in these jurisdictions use the cameras based on beliefs and some anecdotal evidence that they reduce retail theft and decrease violent encounters between staff and shoppers.

While police cameras are subsidized by taxpayers, costs incurred by retailers deploying the devices are likely to be passed on to the consumer, leading to higher priced retail items.

Some self-reported research in U.K. retail settings suggests the devices may reduce violent and aggressive incidents between staff and customers. In one health and beauty store, a survey of its staff suggested a 68 per cent reduction in violent encounters after the cameras were introduced. Similarly, a U.K. grocery store reported a 41 per cent decrease in violent crime. Of note, these findings are self-reported by retail employees and, importantly, not evidence drawn from independent studies.

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Officially, Meta lists “Bluetooth 3.0 Class 2” controllers as compatible. In practice, if you already have a controller there’s no harm in trying it with your Quest to see if it works. However, if you’re looking to buy a controller to use with your Quest, it’s essential to do a web search to see whether it works or not.

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Body-worn cameras are becoming commonplace for Canadian law enforcement agencies. Proponents claim the cameras improve officer and public safety, increase public trust and confidence, and enhance accountability and transparency in policing.

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These statistics appear to come from an Axon-funded report led by emeritus professor Adrian Beck that examined the use of cameras across 16 retailers. The report states that “most estimates are based upon changes in relatively small numbers and so caution is required in interpreting the numbers.” As an example, the number of violent incidents across the retailers over a 90-day period decreased from 16 to five. Another conclusion from one retailer found users “estimated” that 45 per cent of the time a situation was de-escalated by turning on the camera.

Here we’re using a standard Xbox Series X controller for the tutorial, but your mileage may vary if you have something more esoteric.

We can be optimistic about these findings, but more research is necessary. Caution must be exercised when extrapolating any data, especially anecdotal evidence. Beliefs about the effects of the cameras in Calgary, Saskatoon or elsewhere must be carefully tested.

Meta Quest headsets (both versions) let you use your bare hands through the hand-tracking feature, which is great with certain games (e.g. Waltz of the Wizard) that are designed for hand-tracking in particular and media apps or the web browser, where you don’t necessarily want to grab a controller ever few seconds to scroll down a page or pause something.

There are no independent studies or reputable evidence in Canada that supports the claims that body cameras will reduce violence and theft in retail establishments. Rather, the prevailing belief is that they will somehow deter these bad behaviours.

Axon Enterprise Corp. — the company that manufactures body cameras and controls most of the market for police — says “research and previous pilot projects (in retail settings) show the cameras act as a deterrent to reduce security incidents by at least 50 per cent.” Axon representatives also claim that people wearing the devices are seeing 50 per cent fewer confrontational incidents.

In addition to Touch controllers and hand tracking, the Meta Quest 2 has native support for traditional controllers or “gamepads”, if you’re old enough to remember the Gravis Gamepad. Why would you want to do this? Well, there are VR games (such as the Tetris Effect or certain racing titles) that simply play better with a controller, and if you can’t use (or don’t like) hand tracking then a standard controller can be a more comfortable away to operate media apps or the web browser, compared to having a touch controller strapped to your wrist. Whatever the reason you want to use a controller, you can do it thanks to Meta’s decision to add this feature to their headsets.