The Quest 2 is here so people without a PC can enjoy VR gaming.
If you’ve been around for a while, then you might already know this, but there are
also a lot of VR games not listed on the official Quest store.
To play those, you have to sideload these games via SideQuest.
Except, for SideQuest, you do need a PC, so what about people without a PC?
Today, I have a solution.
Welcome to VR Tech Tips.
I’m Cas, and today, I will tell you how to sideload these games -without- a PC.
If you do have a PC, check out our PC sideloading guide, which is linked below.
Over there, you can also find the timestamps as always; love you guys.
And all links I mention in this guide will also be down there.
So, we’re going to get started soon but first, if you like to learn more about VR,
get tips on things you may not even know of, or just want to stay up to date, then consider
subscribing as that’s a big support.
And now, join me beyond reality.
Ok, what you will need to follow this guide is:
- An Android phone (or tablet).
Yes, I’m sorry, this won’t work on iOS devices.
- You will need the free app Bugjeager - Your Quest 2, of course
- And lastly, a USB cable that can go in your Quest and phone.
But I’m going to explain all this in this guide so let’s move on to step 1.
Step 1: Activate Developer Mode On Your Phone Ok, so I’m using the Samsung S10.
If you are using a different phone, then your settings layout may look a little bit different,
but this step should be universal on all Android phone.
So first, go to Settings > scroll down to About Phone > go to Software Information > then
tap Build Number 7 times.
A pop up will count down for you.
Now go back to the Settings and find Developer Options.
Scroll down here and make sure to turn on USB debugging.
If you are on a Huawei phone, you might want to turn on USB tethering before enabling USB
debugging.
I’m on a Samsung, so let’s move on to the next step.
Step 2: Enable Developer Mode On Your Quest
On your phone, open a browser and go to https://developer.oculus.com/manage/organizations/create/ Sign in with the same Oculus or Facebook account
you use with your Quest.
You should then be redirected back to the page we tried to open before.
If it didn’t, just open the link again.
Create an organization here; this can be any name you want.
If you have done this already before, you don’t need to do this again by the way.
Here, you may get asked to fill out your credit card or phone number to verify your Oculus
developer account.
This is extra security added by Oculus.
You won’t be asked about this if you already filled it out.
This is the case if you, for example, have bought an Oculus game before.
In any case, read and agree to the developer agreement.
Now if you open this sidebar at the bottom left.
You should be able to see your organization in cthis drop-down menu.
This means we can now enable dev mode on your Quest.
So grab your device where you have the Oculus app installed and connected with your Quest.
This doesn’t have to be the same phone or device as we’re using for sideloading.
But coincidentally my phone is the same so let me open up the Oculus app.
Then you can enable Developer Mode by going to the Settings, connect to your Quest 2,
if you haven’t yet.
Then open up the menu, go to More Settings, Developer Mode and make sure this toggle is
on.
Step 3.
Download Bugjeager Ok, we’re already almost done!
I told you this was quick 😊 So on your phone, go to the Play Store and search for
Bugjeager and make sure to download and install it.
So launch Bugjeager now and you’ll get an agreement.
Just click accept.
With this app, you can sideload apps on your Quest by connecting your Quest directly to
your phone.
It’s pretty cool.
But be careful about accidentally clicking any of these commands as they could mess up
your phone.
So if you don’t know what adb means or what these commands do, just don’t touch it.
But you should be fine if you are only using it for Quest sideloading.
So my phone has a USB-C slot as well as the Quest has a USB-C slot, so I’m using a USB-C
to USB-C cable.
This is actually the cable that came in the box with the Quest 2.
Just make sure that your cable is able to do some data transfer and that it’s not
just a cable for charging, because that won’t work 😉
To start, plug the cable in your phone, and then also in your Quest.
Your phone will ask if you want to ‘Allow Bugjeager to access Quest 2’.
Just click ok here.
“Open Bugjeager to handle Quest 2”, also OK here.
Now in the app at the top you can see that it’s connected but you need to allow USB
debugging in your Quest 2.
So put on your Quest and use your controller.
*bump* *ouch* :P
Now you will see a popup that says “Allow usb debugging”.
You can click on “Allow here” and you can check mark “Always allow from this computer”
so that it won’t send you this message for your phone again.
You might get another pop up, but then just allow that as well.
Now, in Bugjeager and on the ‘Packages tab’ > a list of your installed Quest games should
show up.
You can refresh this list by sliding it down.
Now if the list shows up, you know you connected it correctly, and you’re now ready to install
APKs!
Step 4.
Example APK Install I’ll show you how to do this with an example.
If you open your browser and navigate to https://itch.io/games/tag-oculus-quest , you can find VR games that are not listed
on the Oculus Quest because either they were not accepted or something else.
Most of these are also on SideQuest.
Please be careful about downloading APKs on random sites.
You might get viruses, so don’t just download anything that you can find on Google, especially
if you don’t know the creator.
I also do not condone pirating games as it takes a ton of work for developers to make
these games and I think we should support them a little.
But some games are provided for free by the developers on itch.io.
For example, Harvest VR.
If you tap on it you can find the download now button.
Click on that.
Now Itch.io will ask if you want to support the developer by donating money.
You can do that, but you can also click on ‘No thanks, just take me to the downloads’.
On this page, you can download the APK file on your phone.
Just click download and download again.
Now go back to Bugjeager, click this button at the top right.
Make sure to select ‘Apk file’, click ok.
Allow Bugjeager to access your files.
Then find the APK; mine is in the Downloads folder.
I’ll just tap it and it will start installing the APK and let you know once it’s done.
You can now remove the cable on your Quest and on your phone to be completely wireless.
I do have a cable right ehre because I’m using the Elite strap battery pack.
But now you can put on your Quest.
Then you can find Harvest VR by going to your Apps Library, then at this drop down menu,
scroll down.
Go to Unknown Sources and here you have it!
Harvest VR.
And that’s all to it.
I hope it was helpful!
I also have a really cool video coming up where this guide will be super handy in the
upcoming days.
So stay tuned and look out for this video soon.
I’ll put a link below once it’s out.
And if you got any questions at all about this guide, sideloading or VR in general.
Drop them in the comments below!
I’ll try to answer as many as I can.
Thanks for being here, I appreciate you so much & if you like what we do, you can support
us for free by leaving a like and just watching more.
A special thanks go to all our Champions, especially these Patrons down below.
As always, VR on!