Oculus has opened up a new way for indie developers to bring their games to Oculus Quest 2 via App Lab without having to meet Facebook’s demanding quality standards. Now players can purchase or download demos, early access betas, or full experiences and access them directly from their Oculus Library without using sideloads. These games are not visible in the Oculus Store without a direct link. So we’ve put together a full list of the Quest 2 App Lab games approved to date so that you don’t have to hunt for them.
List of paid App Lab games for Oculus Quest 2
Home arcade shooter::
Crisis VRigade 2
Personnel selection
While the original had cartoon action, this sequel to SWAT uses a more realistic engine and adds new weapons and difficulty levels. Dodge bullets and duck in and out of cover in this popular VR shooter that is finally stripped of wires.
$ 20 at the Oculus Store
Help humanity evolve::
Deisim
In this space-scaled sandpit simulator, you can watch human society evolve as its almighty deity. The NPCs move independently as you grant them resources, create new environments, drive out heretics, and take other actions that will change human history.
$ 8 at the Oculus Store
Dodge bullets, save the day::
Crisis VRigade
In single player, co-op, and multiplayer modes, the original Crisis VRigade isn’t as polished as the sequel and can be brutally difficult despite its comic book appearance. However, it offers a fast-paced cover shooter experience that you can enjoy with friends for a cheap price.
$ 6 at the Oculus Store
Shoot them in time::
Rhythm ‘n Bullets
Your touch controllers are two spaceships that fly through space. You will have to tune your shots to the beat as you switch colors to match the enemies you are shooting at. With an endless mode, a relaxation mode, boss battles, and more, there’s plenty of depth to enjoy.
$ 10 at the Oculus Store
Fast sports action::
Cyber tennis
This isn’t a Wii Sports-like sim where you just swing your arms wildly. You face challenging AI opponents who hit the ball quickly and you need to hit the ball at the correct height and angle. Challenge other players online or face an AI that grows and improves over time.
$ 15 at the Oculus Store
Rugrats in VR::
Baby hands
As a toddler, crawl around your home, explore your huge home (from your point of view) and find hidden gems or mini-games to play with. It’s supposed to be a relaxing sandpit where you’ll have to simulate crawling with the controllers and solve puzzles to cause mischief.
$ 20 at the Oculus Store
List of free App Lab games for Oculus Quest 2
Procedurally generated roguelite::
Old dungeon beta
Personnel selection
This hugely popular beta lets you immerse yourself in a Minecraft dungeon-like world with a sword and throwing knife, and take on random enemies and bosses while you rescue NPCs and discover secrets. Each dungeon crawl takes different paths in different environments and gives you tons of free replay value!
Free in the Oculus Store
It’s always ski season in VR::
Descent Alps – Demo
Ski down challenging slopes that you wouldn’t be afraid of in real life! You need to ride on the correct side of the sticks to stay on track and adjust your entire body to steer. Challenge the ghosts of your friends or people at the top of the leaderboard to compete or improve your skills.
Free in the Oculus Store
Reconstruct distant locations::
Mysterious Places – Beta
Using 3D photogram scans, developers take real-world locations, break them up into pieces, and ask you to recreate them in VR. You can remotely summon pieces to place in, or walk around the puzzle using space scale mode. You may relax, but these puzzles will challenge you.
Free in the Oculus Store
Hit drumsticks::
Smash drums! demo
As with most rhythm games, you swipe the touch controllers to the music, avoiding obstacles, and replaying songs on more difficult levels. It’s just a demo right now, but the final version will contain 21 indie rock songs, which is great for people who prefer vocals and percussion to electronica and lightsabers.
Free in the Oculus Store
Virtual tires::
Physical education
Hit the basketball court and challenge friends or strangers online for competitions, HORSES or tackles. The avatars can be used to signal your teammates or mock your friends, while the physics engine makes the recordings appear realistic.
Free in the Oculus Store
Learn to sail::
MarineVerse Cup
Are you someone who loves sailing but can’t go out as often as you’d like? This demo is supposed to be a realistic sailing simulator with yachts and dinghies. You can relax on the water or compete against other players online (with an account).
Free in the Oculus Store
Test augmented reality creations::
Spark AR Player
Developed by Facebook, this tool is specifically designed for users using the Spark AR Studio application. Once you’ve created something, use this VR app to see how the AR objects would look in different virtual environments.
Free in the Oculus Store
Learn sandbox::
Zoe
Zoe is an educational platform where students or teachers can create virtual experiences or projects and then share them with others. Build bespoke spaces for a child to explore or put in and see what they can come up with.
Free in the Oculus Store
Find your next quest experience through App Lab
Finding out and downloading App Lab games for Oculus Quest 2 can be a challenge if you don’t know where to look. First, click on any of the links above and buy or install a game that sounds exciting to you. Then you should be able to open the Oculus mobile app, find the App Lab game in your official library, and select “Install on Headset” to add it to your Quest 2.
We split the free and paid experiences as many people see the App Lab only as a source of free content. But App Lab is also a way for games to get officially listed on the Oculus Store, and a way for developers to connect directly with players for feedback and financial support. Don’t sleep with the paid games, which offer longer experiences and often cost far less than official Quest games.
If you’re wondering where to start with this long list of Quest 2 App Lab games, Crisis VRigade 1 and 2 along with Deisim are popular releases with extensive updates, lots of replay value, and lots of fans – so you know your way around Get One Quality experience for your money. As for the free experiences, Ancient Dungeon already offers an in-depth experience with fun battles that will keep you entertained for hours. For more relaxed (but still challenging) gameplay, Puzzling Places made our list of the best SideQuest games for Oculus Quest long before it became an App Lab title, and it’s well worth your time.
The App Lab will hopefully add more SideQuest games over time and we will keep this list updated as soon as they are approved. By then, if you want to try an unofficial SideQuest game, you’ll need to follow our guide on how to sideload apps on Oculus Quest. If all you’re interested in is official Quest experiences, now is the time to check out the best free games for Oculus Quest 2.
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Protect your Oculus Quest 2 from sweat and dirt with these face covers
The Oculus Quest 2 standard face surface has plenty of foam padding. However, this material is a magnet for sweat, bacteria, and acne-causing dirt. Yuck! For this reason, we recommend investing in one of these leather, silicone, or flannel face covers that are easy to remove and clean, making your VR game worry-free and more hygienic.
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