Initially Authored by Paul Spears (@theevergreendev) on 12/20/21
There are 3 environments to develop apps in for an Oculus Quest 2
- Web
- Unity
- Unreal Engine
For web development there is a collection of APIs, WebXR, that are designed to provide ease of development support for AR and VR devices. I don't yet know exactly which APIs are required to put an application into "VR" mode.
Instead, I've done my initial research with a web/VR framework called A-Frame(https://aframe.io/). To test such an app on the headset, you will need to deploy it to the web and access it via the Oculus Browser. To aid in the process for development I used ngrok (https://ngrok.com/) for tunneling.
This was the fastest way to get started as a web developer and required the least amount of Oculus setup.
There are three different ways to test a native application on the Oculus.
- side loading
- Oculus Link
- marketplace deployment
Side loading involves the creation of a local app apk bundle that is then loaded onto the Oculus.
The Oculus Link approach involves the installation of an application on the development PC. The Oculus can then connect to this running environment through a USB C 3.0 compatible cable. The Link application has the ability to inform you if your cable is compatible. The Oculus will then allow you to access the "Link Mode" "app" from the Oculus menu. This environment replaces the default Quest UI and environment and allows applications to be loaded into it through the PC.
Marketplace deployment requires building the application, creating a marketplace entry and seeking Meta approval for publication. I have not yet gone through these steps
In order to side load an app you will need to first create an Oculus development account. You can use your existing facebook account for this, but you will need to indicate that you would like to be an Oculus developer and create an organization on the Oculus store. I find this easier to do through the mobile app by following the directions that appear when attempting to put the Oculus into developer mode.
Once the developer account is created, you will need to put the Oculus into developer mode. After plugging the Oculus into your development machine, you will also need to confirm, on the Oculus, that it is OK to share data with the connected device.
Follow the directions for your development tool of choice for how to load the app.
Before you can use the Oculus link approach you will first need to download and install the Oculus Link application on your development machine. This is a large download so be sure to allow for plenty of time.
After connecting to the PC with a compatible USB C 3.0 cable you will need to confirm on the Oculus that it is OK to share data with the connected device. To start link mode, open the Oculus option menu. Link mode should be one of the top level options.
Once in Link Mode, follow the directions for your development tool of choice for how to load the app.
Coming Soon!
I used the following tutorial to get started https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyxbA2bm7os It includes direction for side loading or using the Oculus Link for deployment.
It also includes some quick basics for getting up free 3d assets.