This guide will show you how to download and install pirated games on Meta Quest 1, 2, 3 and Pro.
This is NOT a guide for Pico headsets. Please go to r/PicoPiracy if you are looking for games on a Pico device.
Please read EVERYTHING as to not mess up the process or miss an important bit of know-how. This may seem wordy, but it's necessary to know this stuff.
Everything on this guide is and will always be working and up to date. Do not be deceived by the date it was originally posted.
(last updated March 28th 2024)
PRE-GUIDE INFO
WILL I BE BANNED/BRICKED FOR PIRATING GAMES?
No.
None of this will get you banned from using Meta devices and none of this will brick (?)#:~:text=The%20word%20%22brick%22%2C%20when,and%20thus%20is%20%22bricked%22) your headset.
As of this revision of the guide not a single person has been banned or punished in any way for piracy on the Quest platform. You're safe to pirate as much as you want, all while connected to wifi, and all on your main Meta account.
All other functions of your headset are completely safe to use, including software updates. If any actual working anti-piracy measures are initiated and begin to affect headset/account usage alarm bells will be sounding here and this post will be updated accordingly. So if you're reading this, you have nothing to worry about.
When it comes to bricks, you can only brick your headset by being stupid, deleting system files and such. It is IMPOSSIBLE for Meta to remotely brick your headset and even in the event of a brick they are easily recoverable by sideloading a fresh install of the Quest firmware.
A Quest firmware archive can be found here.
FREE TRIALS AND META QUEST+
If you haven't already, do NOT use free trials of games on the Meta store you intend to pirate.
This is not to be confused with game demos, which will have separate listings on the store. A free trial shows on the store listing of a full game, with a button saying "Get free trial" next to the buy button.
DEMO VS FREE TRIAL
If you start a free trial and use it up, the expired trial entitlement will remain on your account, causing pirated versions to not work. They are picked up as an unofficial version on the main library screen (same way as if you modded a legit copy of Beat Saber) and you will still be blocked from opening it, met with this error if you attempt to open it:
Even if you don't fully use up a trial and install a pirated version, the pirated version will only be playable for the duration of the free trial, so if you still start one, you're screwed.
To get out of this you can either: * Buy the game* Factory reset and add a new admin account that didn't use the trial* Try this
NONE of this applies to Meta Quest+, however! If you use your subscription to claim and temporarily play games from the Meta store, you are still able to pirate and play them after your subscription expires.
WHAT GAMES CAN I GET?
Everything.
Except for:
- a few app lab titles due to a combination of obscurity and possible lack of community file donations.
- Everything on this list
These games contain their own piracy protection measures that are currently not cracked such as unique online authentication and Patreon logins. So the only way to play them is by purchasing them.
If you want to buy an uncrackable app from the Meta Store you can score a 25% discount with an app referral from this website.
PLANNING TO BUY A HEADSET?
Meta has a referral system where if you accept a referral on your account before logging into a Quest 2 or 3, you can earn $30 in Meta Quest store credit for games when you set up the headset.
This also grants the referrer $30 in store credit. And if you use the link below, you can support the piracy community by funding new games to be bought with store credit and cracked for other people without the need for community donation!
https://www.meta.com/referrals/link/q.4716
Please ensure that:
- You click on this referral right before activating your headset (literally right before you turn it on for the first time). It is how the program works and also ensures your referral won't be invalidated if I switch out the active link before you get your headset.
- The headset is NEW. Doesn't matter which retailer you purchased it from, but it cannot be refurbished/used.
If you have neglected the points above and have not been granted your credit after activating due to an invalidated referral, please do not contact Meta support to get them to grant it.
Meta support will ask for a lot of information regarding the referrer that I cannot provide. It ends up as a waste of time and it may also raise attention to our referral farm accounts and get them suspended. It sucks if you lost out on the credit, but this is still a piracy tutorial.
If the link is dead then there is either an issue on Meta's side or you're in an unsupported region.
MULTIPLAYER
Some Quest games have multiplayer that works even if you pirate the game, there is a list here, albeit rather outdated:
https://wiki.vrpirates.club/en/games/Quest-multiplayer-games
There is no list for PCVR games.
YOU WILL NEED:
Oculus ADB Drivers - Installation instructions are on this website alongside the download (ONLY REQUIRED FOR WINDOWS DEVICES)
A Meta developer account with the developer mode enabled on your headset (TUTORIAL - Watch until the end of step 4)
Do note that as of October 21st 2021 you are required to verify by adding a phone number or a credit card to enable developer mode.
Any device capable of sideloading to an Android device. This guide provides options for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android phones.
A USB Type C cable routing from your device to the Quest. You can use any cable such as A to C as long as it provides a data connection (which most cables do)
Once you've got all of these prerequisites set up, you're good to proceed beyond this point!
PIRACY GROUPS
The VR centric piracy scene has become pretty large with the growth of VR itself. Meaning there are now multiple groups that provide different resources to choose from. If you're wondering which one to choose, just pick out one that provides games for the platform you're looking for.
GROUP #1 - VRP (VRPIRATES) - QUEST & PCVR
Telegram: https://t.me/VRPirates
Discord: https://discord.gg/DcfEpwVa4a
Wiki: https://wiki.vrpirates.club/en/general_information/getting-started
Resource Platform Availability: Windows, Linux, Android, Mac.
All information and tutorials on pirating games from VRP are located on the VRP Wiki.
GROUP #2 - ARMGDDN - PCVR
Telegram: https://t.me/ARMGDDNGames
GROUP #3 - FFA (FREE FOR ALL)
FFA has shut down as of 27th November 2022. Please use VRP instead.
A message from the creator:
https://www.reddit.com/r/QuestPiracy/comments/z6lbxv/yes_ffa_is_dead_lets_set_some_sh*t_straight/
MISC. INFO
PCVR
ARMGDDN & VRP provide downloads for PCVR games.
Reminder: THE PCVR GAMES ARE TO BE DOWNLOADED AND PLAYED ON A VR READY GAMING PC WITH A TETHERED HMD OR A QUEST CONNECTED TO A PC WITH QUEST LINK/VIRTUAL DESKTOP/ALVR.
YOU CANNOT SIDELOAD PCVR GAMES ONTO A QUEST HEADSET AND PLAY THEM STANDALONE.
PLAYING PIRATED PCVR GAMES
When launching a pirated PCVR game directly from the file explorer, it can result in the game not starting in VR mode despite your headset being connected
Game shortcuts on SteamVR can force these games to run in VR mode.
If you've downloaded a repack, most of them should come with functional desktop shortcuts to make your game start up properly. If not, try this:
If you're on an Oculus headset (Quest Link, Rift) enable unknown sources in the settings for the Oculus PC software so you can run SteamVR.
Find the executable (.exe) for the game you've just downloaded and installed/extracted (you may have to look around in the game directory depending on what game) and add it as a Non-Steam game shortcut within Steam.
Then go to properties for the shortcut you have just created within Steam and enable "Include in VR Library"
Then when running SteamVR on launch you'll be presented with your VR library where your shortcuts should appear and you can just launch the games from there and enjoy.
CONCLUSION
I hope this guide was of help to you, whether you're trying before you buy or you just want free games.
This post is now touching on 3 years old as I'm writing this part (Oct 2023) and I've received a ton of messages thanking me for writing and maintaining this. While I highly appreciate the kudos, please direct the thanks towards the groups that host and update these vast libraries of files. Whether that be a verbal thanks, by donating an obscure/up-to-date game or by supporting them financially to keep their ships running. If you're looking to donate to a group you can find out about it in their respective chatrooms/resource directories.
Additionally; if you enjoy the games you pirate please support developers and their work by buying their games on legit marketplaces. They absolutely slave away to bring us these incredible experiences and we are responsible for making sure they can greenlight more great games. Reminder that you can snag a 25% discount on almost any Oculus game with an app referral from Meta-Dog.
Incredible thanks to the whole scene. Enjoy the games!
