An optical cross-connect connecting a series of optical input ports to a series of optical output ports includes at least a first group of input/output port arrays, each including a series of optical input/output ports disposed horizontally and configured to project or receive optical signals. A plurality of steering elements selectively steer optical signals along switching trajectories between the input and output ports. An angle-to-offset conversion unit converts optical signals propagating at the horizontal intra-array angles to corresponding spatial offset signals in the horizontal dimension. An optical interconnect includes a series of input/output regions, each being specific to a corresponding input/output port array and the input/output regions being divided vertically into elongated switching rows. Each input/output region receives spatial offset signals from the angle-to-offset conversion unit and optically interconnects each spatial offset signal from a first input/output region to a second input/output region.