How To Play Minecraft VR Directly On The Oculus Quest 2 Standalone Without PCVR

Minecraft VR is an absolutely fantastic game, and once you get it working it is a ton of fun. Now you can even enjoy it if your PC isn’t great and can’t run games in PCVR. You only need a PC to install it on your headset, and after you’re done setting it up you can play VR Minecraft on your Oculus Quest 2 headset whenever you want.

Despite the low resolution textures and the blocky appearance of well… everything. VR Minecraft on the Oculus Quest 2 is an absolute blast to play.

The freedom of Minecraft’s open world and the impressiveness of exploring it becomes even better and more immersive with the addition of Virtual Reality on a Meta Quest 2. All of the caves and wilderness that you explore, and of course the creations that you make within the game, are even better to experience like they are right in front of you in VR.

Unfortunately installing Minecraft for the Oculus Quest 2 isn’t as simple as most games, which you can just install through the Oculus Store or App on your phone.

Nope, to play Minecraft VR on the Meta Quest 2 you’ll need to do a bit of extra work, but it’s definitely worth it. So if you want to explore Minecraft in VR on your Oculus Quest device then keep reading because we’ve got exactly how step by step.

Oh, and if you’ve got an Oculus Quest 3 then unfortunately this won’t work, at least at the time of writing. Currently this will only work for older Meta Quest devices, but the developers of this Minecraft VR port to Quest are hard at work on including the Meta Quest 3 as well.

Minecraft VR for the Oculus Quest 2 - Prerequisites

So before we get going with the installation process there’s a few things you’ll need:

• A Microsoft account with Minecraft: Java Edition

• A PC on the same WiFi network as your Oculus Quest 2 headset

• A cable to connect your PC to your headset: You can buy the official Oculus Link Cable here. If you’d rather try a cheaper option then there are several available from Amazon like this one here.

Once you have all of these things then you’ve got everything you need to play Minecraft on your Quest 2. So let’s get started.

Minecraft VR for the Quest 2 - Installing SideQuest

To play Minecraft directly on your Meta Quest 2 standalone without running the game on a PC, we’re going to use the popular application SideQuest to sideload an app called QuestCraft on to your headset.

If you’ve never used SideQuest before then don’t worry, I’ll run you through how to set it up and sideload QuestCraft here. Oh, and in case you’re wondering SideQuest and QuestCraft are both totally free! As long as you already own Minecraft you won’t have to pay a cent more to enjoy it in Virtual Reality.

If you already have SideQuest installed then skip down to the next section.

To start go to the SideQuest installation page and download the Easy Installer.

Download the Easy SideQuest installer by clicking here

The installation of SideQuest is guided by the installer. Each step you need to take will be shown in the SideQuest installer window.

After running the installer the first thing you will need to do is connect your Quest 2 headset to your computer using that Link Cable mentioned in the prerequisites.

The first page of the SideQuest installation process

Once your headset is connected to your PC then the installer will continue to give you instructions on how to set up a Meta developer profile and enable developer mode on your Quest device.

Unfortunately there’s no way to sideload apps like QuestCraft for VR Minecraft on your headset without doing this.

This might seem like a lot but trust me it’s worth it

Luckily the SideQuest installer makes the whole process very easy by explaining exactly what to do step by step.

After you’ve set up your Meta Organization and enabled developer mode I also recommend you create a SideQuest account while you’re at it. You’ll need it after completing the installation. Don’t worry, the SideQuest account is completely free.

If you just follow what the installer says until all of the red circles under “Connection Status” turn green, then you’ll be just fine. When you’ve successfully installed SideQuest some confetti will appear on the launcher and it will look something like this.

Once you see this you’ve successfully installed SideQuest on your Oculus Quest 2! Now on to installing Minecraft VR

Congratulations! When you’ve done this then not only is Minecraft VR just a few simple steps away, but all sorts of other sideloaded apps will be very easy to install on your Oculus Quest 2 and enjoy.

Minecraft VR - Installing and Playing QuestCraft

Now that SideQuest is installed on your headset it’s time to put your Oculus Quest 2 on and open SideQuest.

Go to your game library as usual and click the search bar at the top. You don’t have to type anything into it. Instead click on the drop down next to it and then click on the “Unknown Sources” option.

Go to “Unknown Sources” to open sideloaded applications like SideQuest or VR Minecraft

You’ll see a new application called “SideQuest” click on it to open it.

When SideQuest loads and opens you’ll get a prompt with a six digit code telling you to go to sdq.st/link and enter the code. So take your headset off, go back to your PC and go to that website and enter the six digit code. You’ll also have to log into your SideQuest account. If you didn’t make one earlier then do so now. It’s easy and it’s free.

Once you’ve linked your SideQuest installation on your headset to your Oculus Quest 2 the SideQuest app will open. You’ll get some prompts asking you for various permissions, hit “Allow” on all of them.

Allowing permissions will make everything run smoothly

You also might have a prompt, like in the screenshot above to Update SideQuest. Go ahead and do that. You’ll probably get a prompt telling you that “your phone currently isn’t allowed to install unknown apps from this source.”

If you do then hit the “Settings” button in that popup and enable the slider for “Allow this source.”

If you don’t do this then SideQuest won’t be able to install anything

If you don’t update SideQuest or aren’t prompted to then you might have to do this later when you install QuestCraft.

Otherwise if you do update then SideQuest will close itself, just relaunch it.

Now that you’ve finally installed, updated, and accessed SideQuest, let’s install Oculus Quest 2 Minecraft! This part is easy. Search for “QuestCraft” by clicking on the magnifying glass in the top right and typing it in, or if you’re lucky it might be right there on the front page.

Opening the QuestCraft page in the SideQuest app

This will open the QuestCraft page. There will be a big button on it that says “SIDELOAD". Click that button and let SideQuest do its job.

You’ll see some prompts show up saying that APKs and other things are installing. If you get any prompts asking you for permissions, then accept them.

Soon you’ll see a popup at the bottom of the window telling you that QuestCraft was installed successfully. Nice! Now go back to your app library, and go back to the “Unknown Sources” menu just like you did before to open SideQuest.

This time you’ll see a new app named “QuestCraft” so go ahead and open that.

Opening Minecraft VR from the “Unknown Sources” menu

It might take a while to load, just be patient, but when it does you’ll find yourself in a grand hall made of minecraft blocks with a huge screen right next to you.

Point your right controller at that screen and click the “Sign In” button on it.

Another code to link, but this is the last one

You’ll see a prompt appear below it telling you to go to microsoft.com/link and enter a code.

Go ahead and do that. After you enter the code you’ll also have to log into your Microsoft account that owns Minecraft: Java Edition. You’ll be asked to confirm that you’re giving certain permissions to the application in order to do this.

Now while I had no trouble when doing this, some reviews for QuestCraft on SideQuest have stated that at this point they get a message saying that their account couldn’t be found or couldn’t be accessed. If you get an error or have a problem around here then exit out of QuestCraft, restart your headset, double check the credentials you’re using for your Microsoft account, double check that your Microsoft account has Minecraft: Java Edition on it, and try again.

Once your account is linked successfully then just click “Sign In” again. It will change to some new buttons giving you various options like ModManager and the current version. Let’s finally get into some Meta Quest 2 Minecraft on your Quest and hit “Play”.

When you get here you’re so close to Oculus Quest 2 Minecraft

Or rather wait for Minecraft to download on to your Quest. You’ll see some text start appearing and disappearing in the bottom right corner of the big screen.

This is all downloading and installing a bunch of stuff to let you play VR Minecraft.

This is the last step, downloading some Minecraft VR mod files

You’ll have to wait for a few minutes, but eventually the text will go away. When it does hit “Play” again.

Then you’ll find yourself in a dirt room with the Minecraft main menu screen in front of you. Awesome! You’re finally in Minecraft VR.

The Minecraft main menu in Virtual Reality on the Quest 2

Go ahead and test out how it works by making a world and hopping in it. Your right hand works just like it does in the Oculus menus. Just point and pull the trigger to select.

The main menu and options work mostly like they do in the flatscreen Minecraft game, though there are some new options that are VR specific.

Now you should be aware that the first time you make a world and play Minecraft in VR on your Oculus Quest 2 like this, it’s probably going to be a little laggy and choppy.

Don’t worry, this will probably go away in a few minutes. Just ride it out. You may experience little glitches like your character sliding in a random direction, or the framerate suddenly dropping sharply. I found that it took about five to ten minutes for the game to smooth out and function well.

Be a little patient and hopefully it will work better. This is a mod after all, and mods tend to have bugs and problems.

Punching a tree in Minecraft VR on the Quest

As long as it runs smoothly this Minecraft VR mod for the Quest is pretty great.

You can harvest blocks, or hit enemies, by pointing your dominant hand at them with your cursor and holding down right trigger, or you can actually swing at them with your arm or tool.

Pointing your cursor at a space while holding a block and pulling the left trigger places the block in your hand. When you make a Crafting Table you can also craft things with it by pointing your cursor at it and pulling the left trigger.

Using the crafting bench in VR Minecraft

There’s a lot more to learn and discover in Minecraft VR, so I’ll leave that to you.

Not to mention you can also use your newly installed SideQuest application to Sideload all sorts of other games on to your Oculus Quest 2 as well.

Minecraft is a ton of fun in Virtual Reality, and I hope that this setup guide has given you the chance to experience the wonder and fun of VR Minecraft as well with the comfort and freedom of any standalone Quest 2 game. Enjoy!

The Best Open World VR Games

So you want to experience a fantastic open world in VR. You want huge vistas, interesting landmarks to explore, and all sorts of fantastic things to find in a huge landscape brought to you in Virtual Reality.

Well good thing you found your way here, because you’re about to discover the best Open World VR games in existence. While these VR games have a variety of different mechanics and VR interactions, each is guaranteed to give you a massive place to explore and discover intriguing things.

These are the Best Open World VR Games.

Into The Radius

The Into The Radius Logo

If you’re looking for a truly weird place to explore then Into The Radius will certainly deliver. In all of the VR games I’ve played none gives as much of an experience of the surreal and scary quite like Into The Radius does.

In this game you’re an explorer doing your best to survive the Pechorsk Zone, which is a huge open world area comprised of 5 areas where the laws of the natural world no longer apply.

Fighting the dark figures in Into The Radius

As you hunt for artifacts, scavenge for supplies, and try to complete missions you’ll have to fight your way through the hostile dark figures that stalk the radius, and dodge the deadly anomalies that dot the landscape.

Into The Radius is a great open world game not only for its numerous combat and survival challenges, but for the imagination behind its world.

Pechorsk was once a normal place, but now there are all sorts of insane gravity defying ruins and odd structures scattered about. You really never know what you’ll see and discover next while exploring in this VR open world game.

A massive anomaly in Into The Radius

Into The Radius has made its way on a lot of our lists here at Reality Remake for good reasons. Not only is it a blast to play with tons of horror and action packed gameplay, but it also gives you a mysterious and strange world to explore.

That’s why Into The Radius is among the best open world VR games out there.

Elite Dangerous VR

The Elite Dangerous Logo with “VR” slapped on it

So you want an open world to explore in Virtual Reality, well what if we told you that more than one world was available? Well there are many worlds to explore in the depths of space, and that’s why Elite Dangerous VR is such a fantastic choice as an Open World VR game.

There is so much to explore in Elite Dangerous VR that nobody has seen all of it. Even all of the players of this game put together haven’t explored a small percentage of the worlds in store, because Elite Dangerous VR models our actual Universe.

If you want to not only see the incredible sights of space, but also have an effectively infinite number of worlds to discover, then Elite Dangerous VR will satisfy your craving for deep space exploration.

The views of space in Elite Dangerous VR are unmatched

There’s also more to do in this VR open world game. There’s combat, space trucking, space piracy, all sorts of things. No matter what you choose to do your chosen profession will take you all over this gorgeous game in the cockpit of your ship.

As far as open worlds go they don’t get much more open than the depths of space, so if you want to explore the cosmos Elite Dangerous VR is a great choice of open world VR game.

Want to know more? Check out our review and setup guide for Elite Dangerous VR.

No Man’s Sky VR

The No Man’s Sky Logo for their expansion “Beyond”

Since we’re talking about VR open world space games we’ve got to mention No Man’s Sky VR.

This game has a lot of the same open world strengths that Elite Dangerous VR has, but with very different gameplay mechanics.

The universe is just as infinite in No Man’s Sky VR, but instead of always being confined to your ship you also have much more to do by walking around on the surfaces of planets like harvesting resources, fighting robots, and a ton more. All in immersive Virtual Reality.

Exploring a massive open world planet in No Man’s Sky VR

Learn alien languages, upgrade your ship, get a massive freighter, start a space colony, and so much more is available in No Man’s Sky VR. Of course, this game also has more worlds to explore than you can possibly imagine.

Despite getting a lot of bad press at its release, No Man’s Sky has delivered on so much since then, including this VR port, though on PCVR it leaves some to be desired. It’s easy to walk outside of your body, and the VR controls are a little janky at times.

So while not as smooth of a VR open world sci fi experience as Elite Dangerous VR, No Man’s Sky VR brings a ton of different gameplay options that Elite Dangerous’ purely spaceship and space rover based experience just can’t deliver on.

So while it’s not the best VR port around and can run pretty choppily, No Man’s Sky VR is still a fantastic open world VR game, especially on the PSVR2, where it runs much more smoothly.

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners Logo

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners is another fantastic example of a VR open world game done well.

In this game you are the Tourist, an infamous survivor of the zombie apocalypse in the universe of The Walking Dead and you’ve recently arrived in the flooded city of New Orleans.

This game has an interesting story with compelling characters that centers around your quest to find The Reserve, a bunker which is rumored to contain tons of weapons and supplies that everyone in the city wants.

A small horde of zombies in The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners

Your mission to find The Reserve will take you all over the ruined and zombie filled streets of The Walking Dead’s New Orleans. You’ll need to scavenge, craft, and fight through not only zombies but also the human factions that all want a piece of The Reserve, and you.

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners is a fantastic game not only for its story, missions, and events, but also the world that you enter every time you go out into the city.

There are all sorts of ruins to explore and sights to see in the zombie filled streets of New Orleans. The world is massive, though it is cut up into separate maps with tons of nooks and crannies to explore and things to find.

If you want a zombie themed open world VR game then there is no better one to scratch that itch than The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. It’s also available on the Meta/Oculus Quest as well as PCVR.

Green Hell VR

The Green Hell VR Logo

Both on PCVR and the Meta Quest platforms Green Hell VR is a fantastic game that lets you explore the Amazon rainforest in all of its green and dangerous glory.

From hunting animals to discovering which plants will make you sick or nourish you, Green Hell VR combines an intricate crafting, survival, and building system with a huge rainforest to explore.

You’ll even discover that you’re not quite alone in the green hell, there are some local peoples that aren’t too fond of you interloping in their territory.

Being attacked by a Jaguar in Green Hell VR

Green Hell VR is a fantastic VR survival game that constantly forces you to deal with the very real perils of your environment from leeches in the water to pumas stalking you between the trees.

There are very few games that combine survival elements with the thrill of exploration and discovery in a natural space quite like Green Hell does, and even fewer that do so in Virtual Reality.

Green Hell VR is a great open world VR game, and also a great story for you to discover. Why are you trapped in the rainforest? Why can’t you leave?

Hanging out and cooking food in Green Hell VR

If you want to discover the rainforest in all its dangerous beauty and master it then there’s no better VR open world game than Green Hell VR.

The Forest VR

The Forest VR Logo

While we’re on the topic of VR open world games that give you a big natural environment to explore, then there’s no way we won’t mention The Forest VR.

A PCVR port of the hit game The Forest, The Forest VR is essentially the same game but with a VR view and controls. While it’s not the smoothest VR port in terms of performance, quality, or VR interactions, it is still a great open world VR game to enjoy.

In this game you are a passenger on a crashed plane that must survive in a dangerous forest inhabited with cannibal tribes that only grow more aggressive as time passes.

Meanwhile you’re looking for your kidnapped son, and try to discover what exactly is happening in the remote stretch of wilderness you find yourself in.

Walking through the titular Forest

I’m not going to sugar coat this though, The Forest VR has a lot of jankiness to it.

From the third person animations to the annoyances of trying to crouch without being teleported into the air, and the input lag that can give you a headache or just make the game frustrating to play.

Still, The Forest is such fun as a Virtual Reality open world game if you can get over those things. It gives you a huge world to explore filled with dangerous cannibals, vistas and caves to explore.

Slingshotting a cannibal

There is a lot of VR game for you to have fun with if you’re able to, and exploring the forest and its mysteries while you gather resources and uncover mysteries is too much fun to not include it on this list.

Gorilla Tag

The Gorilla Tag Logo

If you’re into VR games then you’ve probably heard of Gorilla Tag. So we won’t talk too much about it here, but you might not have realized that Gorilla Tag is basically an open world game as well.

Each area in Gorilla Tag is connected, and whether you’re playing it on PCVR or the Oculus Quest it is completely free. Your first time exploring each area with this game’s fantastic movement system is still a ton of fun, because each of the levels is connected.

A fantastic piece of Gorilla Tag’s open world

There are a lot of nooks and crannies and things to discover and explore in Gorilla Tag, from a sunny beach to floating platforms high up in the sky.

So if you want to discover what is so special about Gorilla Tag’s VR oriented movement while also exploring an interesting world, then give it a shot. It’s free, and surprisingly satisfying as a VR open world to explore.

Ghosts of Tabor

The Ghosts Of Tabor Logo

If you want player vs player shooting action while you scavenge and explore a world ravaged island, then Ghosts of Tabor is a game that delivers just that. It is a fantastic VR shooting game and a fantastic VR open world game.

We’ve called it a VR Escape From Tarkov game before, and if you’ve heard of Tarkov then you know exactly what that means.

In Ghosts of Tabor you enter the world from your secret bunker by starting a raid, and in that raid you have a certain amount of time, at least 30 minutes, to find an extraction point and exit.

A massive building to explore in Ghosts Of Tabor

While you look for one you explore the map and try to find loot to take out with you and either sell for money to buy more equipment, or store in your bunker for later use.

Meanwhile other players might be your friend or foe out in Tabor, and the local FENIX rebels will certainly be unhappy to see you.

Oh, and just like in Escape From Tarkov if you die you lose everything you have on you. So staying alive is always your number one priority.

Fighting another player in Ghosts Of Tabor

So if you want an open world to explore while combined with fantastic player versus player shooting and the extraction shooter mechanics pioneered by Escape From Tarkov, then give Ghosts of Tabor a look.

For such an action focused game it also gives you a ton of explore and discover, making it a great open world VR game as well.

If you want to know more then check out our article on Ghosts of Tabor.

Stormland

The Stormland Logo

Stormland is a VR game so old that you might not have heard of it. This was an early Oculus title from the days when standalone VR headsets like the Meta Quest weren’t even available yet.

So Stormland is PCVR exclusive, but wow is it a hidden gem.

In this game you’re a robot with human consciousness on an alien world, and it takes a lot of inspiration from flatscreen open world games.

Flying in Stormland

You explore around finding camps of enemies and clearing them to make the world a little bit safer, and there’s a shooting combat system that by today’s standards is a little unsophisticated. Oh, and the game is awfully short at about five to six hours.

Though where Stormland really shines is when it lets you loose to explore its open world. I’ve never had such a good time flying around in a VR game than I did when coasting through the alien world of Stormland.

The towering columns packed with vegetation and science fiction structures scattered around the place make Stormland a very pleasing game to look at and a great VR open world game to explore.

Despite how short of an experience it is compared to more modern VR open world titles, and a somewhat lackluster combat system, Stormland is a ton of fun to explore at least once if you don’t mind paying the price for it.

Grimlord

The Grimlord Logo

Remember Dark Souls? Or maybe Elden Ring. You’ve probably heard of at least one of them and are familiar with the concept of a “souls-like”.

These games are very well known for their excellent melee combat systems as well as their harsh punishments for repeated failure. Well Grimlord takes both of those things, and puts them into a fantastic open world just like any of the flatscreen soulslike games.

Fighting multiple enemies in Grimlord

The biggest difference is, of course, the addition of VR controls and a VR view.

Instead of hitting a button to attack in a set pattern, depending on your weapon, you’re now swinging your weapon any way that you want with your actual arm!

If a VR fighting game that includes a massive open world and soulslike progression sounds interesting in the slightest then you should really check out Grimlord, it’s a ton of fun.

Skyrim VR (With Mods)

The Skyrim VR Logo

It’s no secret that Skyrim VR was not a very good VR port. From the poor optimization to the lack of very basic VR interactions, it was considered a flop and a cash grab by its publisher, Bethesda Softworks.

Luckily as with all Bethesda games, Skyrim VR has had a lot of work put into it independently by the modding community.

If you want to do fairly basic VR things like grab stuff, have a physical body in the world, or enjoy melee combat that amounts to more than just flicking your wrist near an enemy, Skyrim VR with mods will give you all of that in the beautiful and immersive open world of Skyrim.

The entrance to Whiterun in Skyrim VR

Now you can experience Skyrim VR like you should have been able to from the start. While there are still some performance issues on certain graphics cards, Skyrim VR with mods really delivers on a VR Elder Scrolls experience.

Now you can explore Skyrim’s vast open world with truly immersive VR controls, and wow is it a ton of fun. If you’ve always wanted to explore Skyrim in VR, but the reputation of the VR port kept you away, it’s time to install mods and give it a go.

If you want the easiest way to install a large suite of Skyrim VR mods without having to worry about cross compatability issues, then check out our guide on the easiest way to install Skyrim VR mods so that you can enjoy this VR open world.

Minecraft VR

A Minecraft Logo

To cap off this list of the Best Open World VR Games, none needs as little introduction as Minecraft VR.

We don’t need to tell you anything about this game and what it entails, just that it’s possible to enjoy it in Virtual Reality and experience the most open of open worlds.

The satisfaction of creating a fantastic building is better than ever in Virtual Reality, and if you want a limitless open world to explore in VR then Minecraft VR will always deliver.

Well that’s it for our list of the best VR Open World games. If you want a big world to explore then you’ll certainly have found something on this list that you’ll enjoy. I’ve personally played every single one and found something to enjoy in exploring each of them, and you certainly will too. Have fun!