The Oculus Quest 2 could get support for Android apps and potentially give users access to Zoom, Spotify and TikTok through the VR headset.
This is based on screenshots by Twitter user @TheMysticle, who found a selection of Android apps in the “Preview Apps” section of the Oculus Store. This section is mainly used for early access to Quest native apps. This suggests that Facebook may be testing the feature right now.
Another piece of evidence that the feature might be on its way is the fact that the developer’s name is “Android Apps for Quest” and the associated website is from Oculus. The attached screenshots show popular apps like Zoom, TikTok, Spotify, Snap, Among Us, Calm and LinkedIn, all of which are available for browsing in VR.
This was mentioned in our discord today and I just had to check to make sure it was real. It is save! These can be found under Preview apps in the store. The developer’s name in info is “Android Apps For Quest” and the website appears to be Oculus. Finally add popular apps pic.twitter.com/aUuTuTowLzMay 7, 2021
I haven’t been able to replicate this on my own Oculus Quest 2 at the time of writing, and neither has Android Central, which has been tested on a number of headsets. However, the website received a non-committal response from Facebook, saying it had nothing to share at the moment. The fact that it has been showing up on at least one headset suggests that this could be a testing feature waiting to be rolled out to a wider audience.
Facebook hasn’t been shy about adding new features to its hardware after its release, as evidenced by the recent introduction of 120Hz graphics and AirLink Wireless PC Play. Compared to these features, adding support for Android apps would be a breeze. The Oculus Quest 2 eventually runs on a modified version of Android, and you can technically sideload any APK file onto your headset.
The experience isn’t necessarily great though: you just get the app in a floating window on your home screen, just like the web browser does. Even so, people found it useful at times: while there is an official Quest version of Netflix, you can’t download programs for offline viewing, while the Android version, for example, does.
Whether it’s a VR native experience or not, there are certainly benefits to running Android apps on the Quest. First off, it would be beneficial if you could check your messaging apps and social media feeds without taking off your headset.
The @TheMysticle screenshots show that Facebook has no plans to completely remove the walls from its “Walled Garden” store, as most of the apps featured are familiar names with millions of downloads apiece. Either way, it will be interesting to see if this is by design or if it is just a side effect of testing that will be eliminated when the feature is officially launched.
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