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SideQuest

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SideQuest
Information
Platforms Oculus Quest, Oculus Go, WebXR
Devices Oculus Quest, Meta Quest 2, Oculus Go, Meta Quest Pro, Meta Quest 3
Accessible Mac, PC, Linux, Android, Steam Deck, Steam Frame
Developer Shane Harris
Notable Personnel Shane Harris (co-founder and CEO), Orla Harris (co-founder)
Website https://sidequestvr.com/

SideQuest is an unofficial app store and set of desktop, phone and in-headset apps for finding and installing virtual reality software on Meta Quest headsets, including apps that were never approved for Meta's official store (originally the Oculus Store). Besides Quest content, SideQuest also lists apps for the Oculus Go and WebXR.[1] Owners can use it to sideload content, and it also linked to App Lab titles that installed without sideloading.[2] It is run by SideQuest Ltd, a company in Belfast, Northern Ireland, founded by the husband-and-wife team Shane and Orla Harris; Shane Harris was still the company's CEO in October 2026.[3][4][5] In October 2026 SideQuest added a setup method that installs its in-headset app without a PC or USB cable, using a Meta account sign-in and a Bluetooth connection; Road to VR reported that it also removes the need to enable developer mode. Since September 2026 the in-headset app can also download Steam game files for supported game ports.[5][6]

The platform opened two days after the original Oculus Quest went on sale, giving owners a way to install software that had not been approved for the official store.[3][7] The platform lists sideload-only content alongside titles from the Meta Horizon Store and, since early 2026, SteamVR titles for PC VR.[1][8] Its desktop and in-headset apps also let Quest owners change hidden headset settings. Besides the store, the company develops the social VR app Banter, and in July 2026 Shane Harris announced a revival of AltspaceVR under SideQuest.[9][10]

Reviewed 14 October 2026. 2026 desktop app releases 1.0.0 to 1.4.0 (GitHub release notes), the Road to VR report of 13 October 2026 on no-PC setup and Steam port downloads, Shane Harris quote and CEO role, developer listing types (UploadVR), the Altspace launch status, and links, infobox changes and citation formatting. About review dates.

History

Origins and launch

Before SideQuest, Shane Harris released Shane's Editor, a space-making interface for AltspaceVR that UploadVR describes as popular with users until Altspace moved away from web-based development. According to UploadVR, he reworked it as a standalone application for the original Oculus Quest, and Meta rejected that submission.[10] SideQuest launched in May 2019, shortly after the Oculus Quest was released.[11] UploadVR described the Quest storefront as tightly curated, with a spot in its release schedule "extremely difficult to secure", and SideQuest gave developers a way to test experimental projects and build an audience before seeking an official release.[12] Orla Harris told The Irish Times that the company's focus was "discovery, community and promotion".[3]

By its first anniversary in May 2020, SideQuest had 500 approved titles. The 500th was BlanketWorks, a hand-tracking app for building blanket forts that Shane Harris made himself.[11] Content on the platform ranged from experimental demos to free demos of larger games, donation-supported apps and paid titles.[11]

Funding

Date reported Round Amount Investors
September 2020 Seed US$650,000 Palmer Luckey, Boost VC (US$500,000) and The Fund[13]
October 2021 Seed US$3 million Led by PROfounders, with Ada Ventures, Connect Ventures, Ascension, SCNE and angel investors[7][14]
October 2022 Series A US$12 million Led by GV (Google Ventures)[15][16]

When the seed round was announced in September 2020, Road to VR reported that SideQuest had hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors and hosted hundreds of apps. Luckey, the founder of Oculus, said: "No HMD manufacturer should have a stranglehold on the VR ecosystem or unilateral control over what people run on their VR headsets, and when I look at Sidequest, I see the spirit of Oculus Share."[13] The October 2021 round valued the company at about US$10 million, and SideQuest then reported more than one million monthly active users.[3][14] Shane Harris said the company would build tools "to help developers target multiple platforms with OpenXR".[7]

The GV-led Series A brought SideQuest's total outside funding to US$15.6 million, according to Road to VR, and GV general partner M.G. Siegler joined the board. The founders said they planned to double or triple the size of the team.[15] Shane Harris told TechCrunch that the company had "no plans to monetize on the Quest platform, in order not to compete with" Meta, and TechCrunch reported that some titles had moved from SideQuest to Meta's official store, including the basketball game Gym Class.[16]

App Lab

On February 3, 2021, Oculus launched App Lab, a way for developers to distribute Quest apps without passing the store's curation process. Oculus worked with SideQuest's creators so that SideQuest listings could link directly to App Lab apps, which did not need developer mode, sideloading or a PC to install.[17] Shane Harris told UploadVR that "App Lab does not offer any kind of discovery so SideQuest is still the best chance developers have at being discovered with our nearly 1.5m monthly active users."[18] Orla Harris later told TechCrunch: "We advocated for App Lab because side-loading was so cumbersome; [Meta] worked with us for a year."[16] SideQuest also launched Applab.games, a directory of App Lab titles that listed 16 apps at launch in February 2021.[19]

Meta merged App Lab into the Meta Horizon Store in August 2024. Former App Lab apps became searchable in the main store, and Meta added an "Early Access" label for unfinished titles.[20]

Layoffs and recent developments

SideQuest held layoffs in February 2025. Shane Harris confirmed them on the VR Download podcast, and UploadVR later reported that he told the Banter community the layoffs "numbered in double digits". UploadVR placed the cuts within a wider VR market shift toward in-app purchases and free-to-play content.[21]

In February 2026, SideQuest added a discovery feature that shows Meta Horizon Store, SteamVR and SideQuest listings together, with prices, discounts, reviews and ratings from all three side by side. Purchases still happen on the original store.[8][22] The company also holds Spotlight showcases of independent VR games, such as Spotlight Winter 2025.[23]

2026 app rebuild and no-PC setup

On August 31, 2026, SideQuest released version 1.0.0 of its desktop application, which its release notes call "a complete rebuild with improvements to almost every feature in the app". The rebuild reworked headset streaming, added recording, screenshots, a microphone relay, theater mode and playspace controls, and updated the headset settings, ADB command and Logcat tools.[24] Version 1.1.0 (September 3) added saveable device-settings profiles and a 207 Hz refresh-rate option for the Meta Quest 3, and version 1.2.1 (September 17) added a Game Optimizer with automatic per-game rendering profiles and headset-specific presets.[25][26]

Version 1.3.0, released on September 30, 2026, added downloads of Steam game files for supported VR ports, both on the desktop and inside the headset, plus automatic detection and copying of Steam game files already installed on the computer. The same release added shortcuts that place sideloaded apps in the main Quest library.[27] Version 1.4.0 followed on October 6 with a wireless Quest setup (sign in with Meta, then connect over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to install SideQuest without a USB cable) and Flatpak builds that run SideQuest directly on the Steam Deck, the Steam Frame and other compatible Linux devices.[6]

On October 13, 2026, Road to VR reported on the resulting setup process. New users sign into their Meta account and allow SideQuest to connect over Bluetooth, which enables wireless ADB; Road to VR wrote that this removes the need to sign up as a developer, create an organization, enable developer mode and connect a USB cable. In a Reddit post quoted by Road to VR, Shane Harris wrote that users "just connect and it installs SideQuest into your headset and that's it." SideQuest can be installed this way from a desktop computer or a phone, or by downloading the SideQuest APK in the Meta Quest Browser and opening it with the headset's package installer. The in-headset app adds apps to the Quest library automatically, so the unknown sources toggle is no longer needed. Users can also sign into their Steam account from SideQuest in the headset, and SideQuest then downloads the files for supported game ports automatically; Road to VR noted that this covers only existing ports, not Steam games in general. According to Road to VR, the only thing the no-PC method lacks compared with the PC method is the ability to change headset settings.[5]

Features

Developers submit their apps to SideQuest, either as listings that link to an App Lab app or as apps that have to be sideloaded, and listings are approved before they appear in the store.[28][11]

According to SideQuest's developer toolkit documentation, SideQuest distributes a game once it is approved, lets developers hand out tokens for beta testing and revoke that access later, and lets them promote the game on its website.[29]

Sideloading

Sideloading means installing software from sources that a platform's content reviewers have not approved. To sideload onto a Quest headset, the owner must register as a developer with Meta, enable developer mode for the headset in the Meta Quest mobile app, and reboot the headset. Road to VR reported in October 2026 that SideQuest's newer no-PC setup removes the developer registration, developer mode and USB cable steps.[5] UploadVR's guide lists the original Oculus Quest, Quest 2, Quest Pro and Quest 3 as supported, and SideQuest can be used from a VR app, from PC, Mac and Linux software, or from an Android phone.[2] The SideQuest website combines App Lab listings and sideload-only apps in one library.[2] Some sideloaded projects, such as community ports of classic PC games, need the original game's data files copied to the headset separately.[12]

Apps and tools

Version Released Notes
Desktop app 2019 The original version, for Windows, Mac and Linux PCs; installs apps over USB and exposes advanced headset settings and file management[11][2][28]
Android app April 27, 2021 Released on Google Play; sideloads to a Quest from a phone over USB-C (the phone must support OTG), with a wireless option[12][30]
In-headset app June 2022 Runs on the Quest from the Unknown Sources library and installs content such as custom home environments and community ports of Doom, Quake and Half-Life directly to the headset; first installation still needs a USB connection[31]
Web installer March 2024 Installs the in-headset app from a web browser using WebUSB, from a PC, Mac, Linux computer, Chromebook or Android phone; iPhone is not supported[9]
Desktop app 1.0 August 31, 2026 Complete rebuild of the desktop app with reworked streaming, recording and playspace controls; later 2026 versions added Steam game-file downloads for supported ports (1.3.0) and Flatpak builds for Steam Deck, Steam Frame and other Linux devices (1.4.0)[24][27][6]
No-PC setup October 2026 Installs the in-headset app after a Meta account sign-in and a Bluetooth connection that enables wireless ADB, or from an APK downloaded in the Meta Quest Browser; no developer mode, USB cable or PC is needed, but headset settings cannot be changed with this method[5]

A day after the Android app launched, a Reddit user showed that the Android version could be sideloaded onto the Quest itself. Shane Harris told UploadVR that the company could not endorse the method "because it violates the Oculus app policy and could put your developer account at risk."[32] The official in-headset app followed in 2022.[31] Since the March 2024 update, it can change settings that were previously only available in the desktop app, including Guardian and the proximity sensor, rendering resolution, fixed foveated rendering, CPU and GPU levels, and video capture settings.[9]

Multi-store discovery

The February 2026 discovery update lets users compare reviews and ratings from Meta, SteamVR and SideQuest, see prices and discounts, and find related apps. XR Source noted that SideQuest also shows video reviews, which the Horizon Store and Steam do not.[8]

Genres

Other projects

Banter

Banter is a social VR app made by SideQuest. According to a sponsored announcement from SideQuest published on UploadVR, it launched on April 20, 2023, as a free app for Quest 2, Quest Pro, Pico 4 and PC, playable in VR or 2D, with physics-based movement and avatars from Ready Player Me.[33] SideQuest Ltd released it in Early Access on Steam on September 15, 2023, as a free-to-play title.[4] UploadVR compared it with VRChat in November 2023, when it was also available through App Lab; linking a SideQuest account is required to customize avatars and add friends. Harris described Banter as "our attempt to explore what we think the 'metaverse' could be."[34]

Altspace

Microsoft shut down AltspaceVR in March 2023.[10] On July 30, 2026, UploadVR and Road to VR reported that Shane Harris planned to relaunch it in fall 2026. In a Reddit post, Harris wrote that "we recently acquired the rights to the Altspace name and we have the motivation, experience and backing to bring it back". The new version is planned to restore features the service had around 2016-2017, and the team includes former Altspace staff such as Christian Boe, the original concept designer of its robot avatars.[10][35][36] SideQuest later published an article presenting a first alpha of the new Altspace. As of mid-October 2026 the project's site still gave the launch as "Coming Fall 2026".[37][38]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "SideQuest - VR apps and games for Meta Quest headsets, PCVR, Early Access, and sideload apps". SideQuest. https://sidequestvr.com/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Harry Baker. "How To Sideload Content On Meta Quest Using SideQuest". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/sideloading-quest-how-to/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Charlie Taylor (2021-10-11). "Belfast-based VR platform SideQuest raises $3m from backers". The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/belfast-based-vr-platform-sidequest-raises-3m-from-backers-1.4696578. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Banter on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2564460/Banter/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Scott Hayden (2026-10-13). "The Best Way to Sideload Games on Quest Just Got Better". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/the-best-way-to-sideload-games-on-quest-just-got-better/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "SideQuest 1.4.0 release notes". GitHub. SideQuestVR. 2026-10-06. https://github.com/SideQuestVR/SideQuest/releases/tag/v1.4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Ian Hamilton (2021-10-08). "Exclusive: SideQuest Raises $3M To Help VR Developers Go Beyond Oculus Quest". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/sidequest-raises-3m-beyond-quest/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Peter Graham (2026-02-13). "SideQuest now combines Quest and Steam Stores in one Place". XR Source. https://xrsource.net/11386/sidequest-now-combines-quest-and-steam-stores-in-one-place/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 David Heaney (2024-03-07). "SideQuest Can Now Be Installed On Your Quest More Easily". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/sidequest-web-installer/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Mike Johnson (2026-07-30). "AltspaceVR Will Relaunch This Fall Under SideQuest CEO Shane Harris". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/altspacevr-will-relaunch-this-fall-under-sidequest-ceo-shane-harris/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Harry Baker (2020-05-26). "SideQuest Celebrates 1 Year And Reaches 500 Approved Titles Available". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/sidequest-500-approved-titles/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Ian Hamilton (2021-04-27). "SideQuest Comes To Android With App Lab And Sideloading". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/sidequest-sideloading-android/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Ben Lang (2020-09-23). "Unofficial Quest Store 'SideQuest' Raises $650K From Oculus Founder". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/sidequest-seed-investment-funding-palmer-luckey-boostvc-the-fund/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Scott Hayden (2021-10-11). "Unofficial Quest App Store 'SideQuest' Raises $3M Seed Investment". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/sidequest-raises-3m-oculus-quest-sideload/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Scott Hayden (2022-10-04). "Google Invests $12M in SideQuest to Create Main Hub for XR Ecosystem". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/google-12m-sidequest-quest-2-store/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Lucas Matney (2022-10-03). "Google's GV backs SideQuest, an unofficial Meta Quest app store". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/03/googles-gv-backs-sidequest-an-unofficial-meta-quest-app-store/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  17. ↑ Ben Lang (2021-02-03). "Oculus App Lab Lets Devs Distribute on Quest, Bypassing Curation Process". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/oculus-app-lab-quest-independent-distribution/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  18. ↑ David Jagneaux (2021-02-03). "What Does Oculus App Lab Mean For The Future Of SideQuest?". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/what-oculus-app-lab-mean-future-sidequest/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  19. ↑ Ian Hamilton (2021-02-12). "Applab.games Is SideQuest's URL For Experimental App Lab Games". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/applab-games-sidequest/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  20. ↑ David Heaney (2024-08-23). "Quest's App Lab Is No More As Meta Horizon Store Launches". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/quest-app-lab-merged-into-meta-horizon-store/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  21. ↑ Ian Hamilton (2025-02-06). "SideQuest Holds Layoffs Amid Changing Market". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/sidequest-holds-layoffs-amid-changing-market/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  22. ↑ "SideQuest Expands VR App Discovery With SteamVR, Prices, Deals, Reviews Comparisons & More". SideQuest. https://sidequestvr.com/article/714632/vr-app-discovery-just-changed-steamvr-prices-sales-on-sidequest-and-more. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  23. ↑ "The Indie Uprising. Spotlight Winter 2025". SideQuest. https://sidequestvr.com/article/every-announcement-spotlight-winter-2025. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "SideQuest 1.0.0 release notes". GitHub. SideQuestVR. 2026-08-31. https://github.com/SideQuestVR/SideQuest/releases/tag/v1.0.0. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  25. ↑ "SideQuest 1.1.0 release notes". GitHub. SideQuestVR. 2026-09-03. https://github.com/SideQuestVR/SideQuest/releases/tag/v1.1.0. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  26. ↑ "SideQuest 1.2.1 release notes". GitHub. SideQuestVR. 2026-09-17. https://github.com/SideQuestVR/SideQuest/releases/tag/v1.2.1. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "SideQuest 1.3.0 release notes". GitHub. SideQuestVR. 2026-09-30. https://github.com/SideQuestVR/SideQuest/releases/tag/v1.3.0. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Harry Baker (2021-02-09). "SideQuest for Oculus Quest: Everything You Need To Know". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/everything-you-need-to-know-sidequest/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  29. ↑ https://sidequestvr.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/SIDEQUEST/pages/83591169/SideQuest+Developer+ToolKit
  30. ↑ Scott Hayden (2021-04-27). "You Can Now Sideload Oculus Quest Apps with Your Phone - No PC Required". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/sidequest-oculus-quest-2-android-app/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Harry Baker (2022-06-24). "Installing Quest 2 Custom Homes & PC Game Ports Just Got Easier With SideQuest". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/sidequest-quest-2-app/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  32. ↑ Ian Hamilton (2021-04-28). "You Can Now Sideload SideQuest Onto Oculus Quest". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/quest-sidequest-standalone/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  33. ↑ "Banter: A Social VR Sandbox From SideQuest". UploadVR. 2023-04-20. https://www.uploadvr.com/banter-a-social-vr-sandbox-from-sidequest/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  34. ↑ Ian Hamilton (2023-11-14). "Banter Takes On VRChat With Performant Social VR On Quest". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/banter-vrchat-performant-accessible-social-vr-quest/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  35. ↑ Scott Hayden (2026-07-30). "SideQuest is Reviving Microsoft's Social VR Platform 'Altspace' This Fall". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/sidequest-revives-microsoft-altspace-release-date/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  36. ↑ Josef Erl (2026-07-31). "Microsoft's discontinued metaverse pioneer AltspaceVR is returning". heise online. https://www.heise.de/en/news/Microsoft-s-discontinued-metaverse-pioneer-AltspaceVR-is-returning-11388994.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  37. ↑ "AltspaceVR Is Returning: SideQuest Reveals First Alpha and Revival Plans". SideQuest. https://sidequestvr.com/article/719195/altspacevr-is-returning-sidequest-reveals-first-alpha-and-revival-plans. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  38. ↑ "Altspace". Altspace. https://altvr.app/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
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