Yes
Are there any free games for Oculus Quest 2? Yes, there are, but the full answer is a bit more complicated, so we have a whole article here to explain the situation.
First things first, the Oculus Quest 2 or Meta Quest 2 (it’s the same device with different names) is a highly popular, affordable VR headset.
For the most part, the official Quest store is filled with pretty expensive games and apps, typically ranging from $15-$40 US.
For the general video game landscape, those prices aren’t especially bad, but when you consider that these games rarely go on sale, they start to look a lot worse. Also, these are VR games we’re talking about. It’s very hard to get a sense of what they’re actually going to feel like to play compared to the standard video game.
And though the Quest 2 is affordable, it’s still a significant chunk of change, so we don’t blame anyone for looking around for free games to play on their headset.
But that’s enough of an intro. Let’s talk about some of the specifics.
Free-to-play
The most straightforward free games available on Quest 2 are free-to-play titles. Basically, this term means that the game is just plain free, or that it’s technically free to play but has plenty of in-app purchases.
The vanilla Quest 2 store actually doesn’t have too many free-to-play titles, and it doesn’t like to promote the few it has. To find these titles, just browse games and select the Free filter under Price on the sidebar of the Quest store.
Also, pro tip: if you don’t want to browse the store in your headset, you can also check it out through the Quest app on your phone. You also won’t burn through your headset battery just by shopping around.
Of course, if you’re looking for free stuff to play, another great option is to seek out demos for full games.
Demos
Ok ok, so demos aren’t full games, obviously. But they are indeed free, and as we talked about earlier, with VR games it’s incredibly important to get a sense for what it’s actually like to play a particular game.
Maybe a game requires a steady internet connection. Maybe a game will make you feel sick. You won’t actually find any of that out until you hop into a demo.
Sadly, not every VR game available for the Quest 2 actually offers a demo, but there are quite a few, and there’s no reason not to download them and try them out.
You can also keep an eye out for free trials of different games. These are like demos, except they only let you play the game in question for a set amount of time before the trial expires.
But now let’s get to the real meat: completely free games that you can get for the Quest 2 right now.
App Lab
What if I told you that there were a whole bunch of other games and apps that run on the Quest 2 that just aren’t available on the official Quest store?
Well, it’s true, and it’s also completely legal to access and install these games and apps.
However, there’s a caveat. First, you’ll have to install a piece of third-party software called SideQuest on your computer. That takes a bit of doing, but it’s really not that complicated.
So here’s the idea behind SideQuest. It’s basically a way to sideload software onto your headset. In other words, you’re going around the official Quest 2 OS and store.
That probably sounds less than legal, but it’s actually fine. The folks behind SideQuest have worked directly with Facebook/Meta to design this system, and in fact the App Lab portion of SideQuest is a way for developers to test out games before officially submitting them for inclusion on the Quest store.
SideQuest is also kind of just a dumping ground for all kinds of stuff. You can get custom home environments for your headset. You can customize various aspects of your headset, too. But you won’t actually be running SideQuest on your headset. Instead, you install it to a computer and connect your headset to the computer when you want it to communicate with SideQuest.
Once connected, you can use SideQuest to install apps and even manage files on your headset.
But let’s talk about those free games already. There are a lot of free games available through SideQuest. Some of these games are free, period. You don’t have to pay anything, ever, to play them. Simple enough.
As mentioned earlier, some games are essentially test versions of what will later become full games that cost money to access.
Sounds pretty great, right? It is! But you also need to keep in mind that not every single free game is going to be something you’re actually going to like. There are also plenty of free games that just aren’t very good, hence the lack of a price tag.
But before we finish up, we’d like to recommend some free games available through SideQuest that aren’t terrible.
Attack on Quest
A multiplayer titan-slaying game with weak visuals but interesting gameplay.
Gorilla Tag
A multiplayer tag game where you move around like a gorilla.
No More Rainbows
A platformer with unique movement. Surprisingly deep for what is essentially a tech demo/game preview.
Hax
A robot shooter that’s surprisingly fleshed out. There are also some creative movement options here.
The End Part
We don’t recommend buying a VR headset exclusively for free software, but if you already have a bunch of the essential Quest 2 games, then free games and apps can be a great way to supplement your headset’s library.
If you’re comfortable with computers, then SideQuest is a no-brainer. It just opens up all kinds of opportunities for exploration that wouldn’t be available via the vanilla Quest 2 experience. And hey, if you have some recommendations for great free Quest 2 games, feel free to leave them in the comments section.
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