[Update] This method is out-dated, we’ve created a new guide here.
[Original] It’s only been a day since the Oculus Quest released and there is already a way to stream SteamVR games to the headset. It’s far from a perfect solution, quality is very shaky, and most of the button mapping is completely borked currently, but it’s a step in the right direction! Just don’t expect 1:1 perfect streaming because it is definitely not that.
Streaming SteamVR to Quest is possible via sideloading VRidge and using the RiftCat desktop app. We have a whole guide on it here, but I’ll summarize the steps in this article for this specific method.
Here is a video I recorded of myself playing Skyrim VR on Oculus Quest using this method — but please be aware the actual quality inside the headset is lower than the footage makes it seem since this video is recording my desktop view.
How To Stream SteamVR Games To Oculus Quest
Most of the steps of what to do can be found here, on the official RiftCat website. First you need to put your Quest in Developer mode and make sure you enable installing apps from uknown sources. Then, you’ve got to download the VRidge APK and the Android ADB tool. Using that tool you can install the VRidge application onto your Quest.
You’ll also need the RiftCat desktop app. You can use the app for free, but only for a few minutes. The full version costs about $15, but offers unlimited use. Within the application you can customize the streaming quality, resolution, and other settings. On Very High it worked pretty well for me but did stutter sometimes, have artifacts, and smear visuals occasionally. This is still a very early build.
Once you’re ready to go just go to your Library in the Quest and then navigate to the “Unknown Sources” tab to VRidge. Next, launch RiftCat and then click the big play button to have it launch SteamVR. You need to unplug any PC VR headsets and shut down the SteamVR app first in order for RiftCat to trick the SteamVR backend.
Streaming SteamVR To Oculus Quest Issues
The biggest issue with this method is the stream quality. I didn’t notice a ton of latency between my actions and the game recognizing them, but the visuals took a big hit. This is not something that’s easy to stream, so it just doesn’t look as good as a dedicated PC VR headset will. Games like Skyrim that don’t require constant quick reflexes will eventually be playable once the button mapping issues are ironed out, but shooters or quick rhythm games are probably another story.
With our testing today we tried to play Pavlov but we couldn’t even get the menu to open because of the finicky button mapping. Beat Saber worked fine though streaming custom songs since it only really uses trigger inputs to navigate menus.
Hopefully they’re able to keep updating RiftCat and VRidge so it offers expanded functionality on Quest. It’s not going to replace your PC VR headset, but it’s a cool feature to have the option to stream SteamVR games on Quest.
Let us know if you have any questions or comments down below!
