So, you own an Oculus Quest VR headset, and you’re really enjoying all of the great VR games on the Oculus Store. However, SteamVR offers a lot of other amazing VR experiences that you can’t find in the Oculus Store. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of setting up your Oculus Quest to play SteamVR games.
Products needed for this guide:
- Get connected: VRidge Software (Free or $17 at Riftcat)
- Access to 1,000’s of VR titles: Steam Account (Free at Steam)
- Tetherless VR: Oculus Quest ($399 at Amazon)
- If your PC doesn’t have a USB-C input: Onvian USB-C to USB 3.0 Adapter ($7 at Amazon)
Determine that your computer can support VRidge
Before you can move toward playing SteamVR games on your Quest, you will need to make sure you can run Riftcat’s VRidge software on your PC. VRidge is the softwar you’ll need to do it. Riftcat’s website references cardboard viewers. You can disregard that since streaming to mobile VR and streaming to the Oculus Quest VR headset are the same thing.
Getting your smartphone and your Quest ready
There are only a few steps needed to get you up and running so you can play SteamVR games on your Oculus Quest. They might seem a bit daunting, but thankfully Riftcat’s VRidge software does most of the heavy lifting for you. Your first step is to make sure both your smartphone and your Quest are on the same Wi-Fi signal.
Open the settings on your smartphone and choose Wi-Fi. Make a note of what Wi-Fi signal you are on. You will need this information for Step 3.
Now put on your Quest headset and choose settings in the lower menu to access the menu with Wi-Fi options.
Select Wi-Fi and make sure your Quest Wi-Fi is the same as your smartphones Wi-Fi signal.
Put your Oculus Quest in Developer Mode by opening the Oculus App on your smartphone.
Tap on settings. Your Oculus Quest VR headset listed in the apps directory.
Tap on your headset listing to connect your smartphone’s app with your Quest headset.
After you connect, you’ll have an new More Settings option. Click into the menu and select Developer Mode.
Tap the switch so it toggles to blue and Developer Mode will be on.
Download VRidge to your PC
Get everything ready. Make sure your Oculus Quest, your Quest controllers, and the USB connector that came with it are close by.
Go to the Riftcat website and download VRidge and install the software to your PC.
Launch VRidge on your PC and choose Oculus Quest.
Connect your Oculus Quest to your PC using the USB connector that came with your Oculus Quest. You will need to keep your Quest connected to your PC to complete this step and to play SteamVR games. If your computer doesn’t have a USB-C input, you’ll need to purchase an adaptor.
Syncing your Quest with your PC
This step is where it might seem a little scary. However, there is no need to fret. All you are doing is cutting and pasting a script and then hitting enter on your keyboard. Once you’ve done that, all you have to do is put on your Quest VR headset and, using your Quest controllers, give your PC permission to link to the headset.
Search for the Windows PowerShell App. Windows PowerShell App will come up immediately with three options. Choose run as Administrator.
Next, open up your web brower and use this Github link to access the script needed to connect your Quest to your PC. Simply copy the entire script from top to bottom.
Go back to your open Windows PowerShell and paste the Github script into Windows PowerShell and then hit enter. This will automatically perform all of the steps needed so you can stream SteamVR games to your Quest. All you have to do is wait for the process to finish. Once it’s done, you’ll get a notification.
Put on your Quest headset, and go to your library. Choose unknown sources in the sidebar, and launch VRidge within your Quest.
On your desktop, open VRidge and start playing.
You will then see a message on your PC’s desktop informing you that VRidge is now running on your Quest headset.
Now, choose between using the free version or the paid version. If you choose the free version, you’ll get 10 minutes of SteamVR gameplay. The paid version will give you unlimited SteamVR playtime.
Launch SteamVR on your Quest
Your final step is an easy one. Your Quest is tethered to your PC through the charging cable that came with your VR headset, and you now have Riftcat’s VRidge software running on both your PC and your Quest headset. The only thing left for you to do is set up your Quest headset in the same way that you would with the HTC Vive or any other headset using Steam.
Launch SteamVR on your PC.
Choose room-scale or standing VR experience.
Create your guardian so you don’t bump into anything.
That’s it! Call your friends! Time for a VR party!!
You’re done!
You’ll now be able to use Riftcat’s VRidge to stream several games from StreamVR that aren’t available in the Oculus Store. One thing to mention is some of the graphics might come across a little dull. It’s not enough to ruin your VR experience, but you will notice a slight difference.
Our top equipment picks
The Oculus Quest is already a great VR headset. Still, new firmware updates will soon make the headset even better when Oculus brings in hand tracking, meaning no more controllers! While the Oculus Link will let you tether your Quest to your PC and allow you to play Rift S games.
Untethered VR
Oculus Quest
$399 at Amazon $399 at Walmart
VR without the need for external sensors
The Oculus Quest is a tetherless VR headset that doesn’t require a computer and uses inside out tracking. You can move freely without worrying about tripping over cables or setting up external sensors. It comes in both 64GB and 128GB versions.
SteamVR was developed by the Valve Company and offers VR fans a large number of VR experiences. The company even has its own VR hardware called Valve Index.
VR games galore
SteamVR
Free at Steam
Lots of VR options
Steam offers VR gamers 1,000’s of game titles. That’s because Steam has become a distribution company for any third-party publisher using Steams Steamworks SDK, giving young developers and small companies an outlet to release their VR experiences.
VRidge offers a free version and a paid version. Both offer Oculus Quest support, sound streaming, controller support, technical support, and future updates. The only difference between the two versions is that the free version gives you 10 minutes of playtime per session, while the paid version gives you unlimited playtime.
SteamVR on the Quest
Riftcat
$15 at Riftcat
VRidge for your Quest
There are other ways that you could stream SteamVR games to your Oculus Quest headset, but Riftcat’s VRidge software is the best and easiest way to make this happen. The process doesn’t require a lot of work, and the software does all of the heavy lifting.
Unfortunately, not every PC comes with USB-C input. However, it’s an easy fix with this small, low-profile adaptor that offers super-fast transfer speeds.
Plug your Quest into your PC
Onvian USB C to USB 3.0 Adapter, 2-Pack
$7 at Amazon
In case your PC doesn’t have the right input
This adaptor will turn any USB 3.0 input into a USB-C input: super easy and hassle-free plug and play. The adaptor offers data transfer speeds of up to 5 Gbps between connected devices. It also supports up to 2.4 Amps of power output for charging your devices.
