How do you play Steam games on the Meta Quest 3? Steam is beloved by PC gamers across the globe for providing some incredible titles, as well as hundreds of discounts every week. This is the same for PCVR titles on Valve’s storefront too. Better still, it just got far easier to bring both of your libraries into one headset.
Considering the best VR games on PC list is much larger than that of the Quest 3 store’s offering, if you own a gaming PC, you may as well take advantage of many PCVR titles. And considering how amazing the new VR headset from Meta is (which we discuss in our Meta Quest 3 review), you’ll want to know how to start playing PCVR games on your Quest.
How to play Steam games on Meta Quest 3
There used to be two options for playing Steam games on the Meta Quest 3, those being wired or via Air Link. But thanks to the release of the Steam Link app on Quest 3, there is now a third option that trumps the other two for ease.
Here’s how to play Steam games on the Quest 3 with Steam Link:
- Download the Steam Link app from the Meta store.
- Open Steam on your PC and download SteamVR.
- Pair your headset to your PC using the code given in the Steam Link App
That’s it! Compared to the other ways we list below, using Steam Link is the easiest way to bring your Steam library to your Quest 3. It is noted that for the best experience, your PC should be wired via ethernet, but this is not a hard requirement if your broadband is strong enough.
For the additional methods, you’ll need to install the Oculus software from the Meta website, and both have their own strengths and weaknesses, depending on your setup and what you own.
Here’s some more ways to play Steam games on Meta Quest 3:
- Install the Oculus software, and log in with your account
- Head to the devices option on the Oculus software
- Select “add headset”, then select the Quest 3
- Choose the Link Cable / Air Link option
- Put on your headset, then go to the settings menu
- Go to System in the settings, then choose Quest Link
- Select Launch Quest Link
- If doing Air Link, toggle on the Air Link option.
- If connected properly, select your PC from the list
- For Air Link users, make sure to check the pairing code is correct between Oculus and your Quest 3 headset
- Once loaded into Quest Link, select the monitor icon from the selection and choose your monitor
- When the desktop loads, open Steam and play SteamVR
After this, you’ll be booted into SteamVR’s virtual world, allowing you to select from your library of SteamVR games.
This quick video tutorial from ‘Swiftness’ will give you a quick rundown on how to do it, if you need some additional help:
Unfortunately, for those wanting a wired experience, you’ll need a long wire with a USB-C connection to be able to play Steam games on Quest 3 with a wired connection. We recommend at least 10ft, allowing you to have enough wire to move around freely, and hopefully not get coiled up by it. It’s a lot easier than the old-style VR headsets with huge wires and tracking bases, but it can be annoying if you’re used to playing with the Quest 3 as a standalone device.
As for Air Link, your internet connection and router matters the most. For the best (and least jarring) experience, you’ll need to be connected to WiFi via a 5 GHz band, and preferably have a WiFi 6 or WiFi 6e router.
At least now, you can take advantage of some more significant discounts and different games compared to the Oculus storefront. However, we do recommend still purchasing some games on the Oculus store, as you may get both the PC and Quest 3 versions of the game, at no extra cost.
That’s how to play Steam games on the Meta Quest 3. However, there are plenty of amazing titles that you can play without the need for a PC in our best Meta Quest 3 games list. Alternatively, you can always check out the best free Meta Quest 3 games if you don’t want to spend too much money.