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How to Sideload Quest 2, Quest 3, and other Oculus headsets

5 min read

What is Sideloading?

If you just bought a Quest 3 or Quest 3S, you might have heard about sideloading as a way to get more apps and play with some cool new settings. Sideloading enables you to install third-party apps on your Meta Quest 3, you might think of it as developer mode for your headset. Using this feature lets you access apps and tools which aren't yet available in the Meta Horizon Store, enhancing your VR experience. We're not kidding, a whole new world opens up when you decide to do the SideQuest download. SideQuest is the recommended alternative store for alternative apps.

While the Meta Horizon Store offers a wide array of apps like Prism VR Player and Heresphere VR Player, sideloading and the use of SideQuest opens the door to an even richer VR experience by allowing you to install apps outside the official marketplace. Here’s how sideloading can elevate your Meta Quest 3 journey:

1. Access Exclusive and Experimental Apps

Unlock innovative apps, indie games, and tools developed by creators who bypass the Meta Horizon Store. With sideloading and SideQuest, you can explore cutting-edge VR experiences before they hit mainstream platforms.

2. Personalization with Utility Apps

Enhance your VR experience with custom tools like screen recorders, performance optimizers, and battery monitors. These apps provide features Meta doesn’t natively support, giving you greater customizability and control over your headset.

3. Play Legacy and Emulated Games

Revisit classic games through VR emulators. Sideloading lets you bring nostalgic titles into an immersive VR environment, making your Quest 3 a hub for retro gaming with all the new features special to VR. For example, Wolfenstein, Tomb Raider and Doom are all available on SideQuest. Imagine them in immersive VR environments!

4. Freedom from Official Store Restrictions

Meta's strict content guidelines often limit app availability. Sideloading removes these barriers, giving you access to niche apps and content Meta might not approve. While AppLab has some of the experimental titles covered, SideQuest provides much easier browsing, and a completely alternative store for content.

Image of a man in a forest wearing a VR headset, surrounded by trees.

Image shows something that probably won't happen to you when you install SideQuest. However, it might feel like this.

How to Start Sideloading on the Meta Quest

Setting up sideloading is fairly simple, thanks to platforms like SideQuest. By connecting the headset to a computer, users can install and manage a range of unofficial apps with ease. Just remember to enable Developer Mode in the Quest settings and follow SideQuest’s guidelines for safe installation. Follow these simple steps. Before we begin make sure you have the following:

  • A USB-C cable to connect your Quest to your computer
  • A working Meta account
  • The Meta Quest app on your phone
  • Developer mode enabled on your Meta account

Part 1: How do I enable Developer Mode?

  1. Go to dashboard.oculus.com - sign in your Oculus or Meta account.
  2. Create an organization: you can call it whatever you like, nobody will ever see it. Unless you start publishing apps!
  3. Agree to the online Non-Disclosure agreement, and then verify your account by either enabling 2-factor authentication or providing credit card information.
  4. Now go into the Meta Quest app on your phone > tap menu in the bottom right > tap Devices > choose your headset > then tap headset settings > select Developer Mode > toggle Debug Mode to on.

Part 2: How Do I Install SideQuest On My Meta Quest?

  1. Create your SideQuest account.
  2. Connect your Meta Quest to your PC using the USB-C capable of transferring data.
  3. Visit https://sidequestvr.com/download and select web installer. Then click next step under the instructions.
  4. Click Select Device, a pop-up will appear and enable you to choose the headset. Note: If is says another device is using your ADB, open Task Manager and end the task adb.exe and do step 4 again.
  5. Put on your headset. You will see a window that says Allow USB debugging? Be sure to select: Always allow from this computer
  6. Take off the headset, go back to your PC, and click on Install Sidequest. Once finished it will switch to Installed
  7. Put your headset back on, take note of the code. Once you open a SideQuest app, you'll have to type the code into the page at sdq.st/link while signed in. Click Link Now.
  8. Return the headset and click Allow in the Allow Permissions pop-up. The app will now be linked to your SideQuest account. Have fun!

If you hate reading, the steps are basically summarised in this very handy video:

Final Sideloading Considerations plus AppLab vs SideQuest

While sideloading has plenty of perks, it’s essential to be mindful of security and compatibility. Only download apps from trusted sources, as unofficial apps aren’t vetted by Meta. It's our strong recommendation that you only sideload using SideQuest, as apps in their store are vetted for malware and other dangers, and SideQuest has a working relationship with Meta. You are unlikely to void your warranty using SideQuest.

Some users have commented that SideQuest is no longer worth it since the popularization of the Meta App Lab. The App Lab is not an alternative store, it's just apps in the Meta Horizon Store that haven't been signed off officially by Meta yet. In order to access or find them in the store, you have to type their exact name. While there's crossover between App Lab and SideQuest, SideQuest is much easier to explore and have fun with!

Sideloading on the Meta Quest 3 is about freedom, experimentation, and customization. It’s an option that unlocks VR’s true potential by offering experiences beyond the official ecosystem. The App Lab doesn't reveal the huge number of possibilities that your Quest device can handle!

VR Sex Toys and the Best Way to Watch Our Content

If you're looking to enhance your VR experience, see our Sex Toys page for a rundown of the latest headsets and exclusive discounts on the world's best toys.

Also, check out an app we love that's still in the App Lab: Prism VR Player. It's by far the best way to enjoy BaDoinkVR's content, and we've been able to create funscript and content integrations for the app, which make it the best way to enjoy all of our content.

Image showing one of the many creative possibilities potentially unlocked by SideQuest and sideloading.