What you need to know
- Third-party VR app store SideQuest can now be viewed on Oculus Quest and Quest 2 headsets with a beta app.
- Users who wanted to sideload games would require a PC or the SideQuest mobile app to install each game.
- A PC or the mobile app is still required to enable sideloading, but is only necessary only one time after everything is set up.
SideQuest, the third-party app store for Oculus Quest virtual reality headsets, can now be accessed while wearing the VR headset instead of using a PC or the Android mobile app. SideQuest allows users to download VR apps and games that are not available on the main Quest Store through sideloading.
Before today, Meta Quest 2 users who wanted to try out new experiences like the recently released Shadow of the Colossus VR or unofficial VR ports of classic games would need to install the games via the platform's website on a PC or the mobile app.
The company has released an experimental public beta version of the platform today that can be used within the headset. Users will still need a PC or phone to enable developer mode and activate sideloading, but only once.
After that, sideloaded games can be installed from the store directly from the headset with the SideQuest VR app and access all features of the website. Players can also download popular games like Gorilla Tag and Pavlov: Shack from the App Lab, which contains more VR apps than the official Quest Store.
SideQuest detailed some of the features of the release in a Reddit post that benefits VR developers and players such as in-built diagnostics to detect problems and provide immediate solutions. The new release also makes file transferring simpler with auto-detecting folders and an option to enable Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) from the settings.
The company also provided tutorials on how to create custom homes and integrate them into games. SideQuest will continue to work on the beta software and said it would translated be into "all major languages" soon.
The Meta Quest 2 offers increased power, resolution, and flexibility over the original virtual headset. It is a complete, all-in-one headset that does not need to be tethered to a PC or smartphone in order to work.
