Building for a Meta Quest Headset

warning

This section is currently under construction. Please reach out if you require any assistance

This section walks you through building your Experience as a standalone .apk application for the Meta Quest headset, allowing it to run directly on the device without requiring a tethered PC connection. Watch the video walkthrough for a detailed, step-by-step guide, or expand the dropdown below to follow the written instructions for generating your Quest-compatible build:

▶️ Watch Video Walkthrough

Written Steps to Build and Deploy to a Meta Quest

1. Connect your headset: Plug in your Meta Quest via USB-C and connect to Quest Link.
2. Check project settings:
   • Under Project Settings > Meta XR, apply any suggested changes on the android tab.
   • Under XR Plug-in Management, toggle the following Android settings:
     • Hand Tracking Subsystem
     • Meta Hand Tracking Aim
     • Meta Quest Support
     • Meta XR Eye Tracked Foveation
     • Meta XR Feature
     • Meta XR Foveation
     • Meta Space Warp
     • Meta XR Subsampled Layout
3. Set starting point: In , open the Epoch where the Experience should begin.
4. Prepare your build:
   • Open Unity Build Profiles by clicking on Build Mode on the starting Epoch.
   • Set the platform to Android and wait for it to update.
   • Ensure the correct Scene is selected.
5. Build and deploy:
   • Click Build and Run.
   • Accept the ‘Unsupported Input Handling’ dialogue.
6. Test on device:
   • If the build succeeds, unplug the USB-C cable.
   • Put on your headset to try the standalone app.

Your Experience is now exported to the headset and ready to be deployed in standalone. All the data from the Experience is saved directly on the headset!

tip

You can continue iterating in using Quest Link, Unity will use your Windows settings for real-time testing.

Retrieving Data from Headset

When running a standalone Experience on a Extended Reality (XR) headset, all the data files in CSV format are saved directly on the headset’s internal storage. The easiest method to retrieve this data is to use an external application like SideQuest. This application allows you to access and extract saved data from the headset’s memory as well as upload Experiences in .apk format from your computer to the headset.

Instructions to Retrieve Data

Step 1: Download SideQuest

In your web browser, navigate to this page and download the SideQuest Desktop App.

Troubleshooting

My Android device is not detected

If you are getting the error message below, it is likely because your headset is not detected.

Here are a few steps to resolve the issue:

• Ensure your headset is logged in to the same Meta account as the one on your Quest Link application on your computer.
• Verify that your headset is in Developer Mode. You can enable this through the mobile app. For instructions, refer to the "Enable Developer Mode" section in the dropdown on this page of our documentation (specifically Step 4).
• After completing the steps above, restart both your headset and computer.

My application successfully built but everything is black when I put on the headset

This is likely an issue with the Render Pipeline Assets, these assets control how the environment is rendered from within the headset. You'll need to check the settings on the PC_RP Asset.

note

If you are building a Passthrough application, you should already have the PC_RP Asset setup correctly (as shown on the Passthrough Setup, but ensure the Asset is setup this way:

My hands are not getting tracked

This is likely due to the OpenXR settings in your Unity Project settings. Ensure these settings are properly configured before building your Experience:

note

If you're unsure how to access these settings, please refer to the walkthrough build video above for step-by-step instructions.

The application is lagging on my headset

Standalone headsets have limited hardware. Make sure your scenes are optimized by reducing polygon counts, using compressed textures, and avoiding expensive post-processing effects. It is an iterative process where you will need to change some things, build again, try again and repeat. If you have tried optimizing your Experience to the best of your capabilities but still cannot get it running smoothly in the headset, reach out to us on Discord and our team can help you out!

The build is taking a long time

This is normal. Building can take time, especially if the Experience and environment involve complex 3D models. Building for the first time takes the longest, but the process will be faster for subsequent builds.

I don't know how to exit the application

If your build was successful the application will start automatically on your headset once it is finished. To exit the application, you'll want to look at your right hand with the palm of your hand facing towards you until you can see the oculus logo. Then pinch your index and thumb quickly together to get access to the Meta menu. From there you can choose to quit the application.

If you want to restart the application, simply click on the application logo in the toolbar!

I can't find the application on my headset

If your build was successful the application is now installed on your headset. It should automatically appear in your application toolbar with the Unity Logo. If it is not on your toolbar you can also find it by navigating to the Library and then 'Unknown Sources'. It should be listed there, click to open it!

note

Have a different issue and can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Make a post in the help-forum on our Discord and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.