Summary
- Free games on the Oculus Quest offer a variety of experiences, from painting in 3D to platforming and horror games.
- Demos allow players to try out games before purchasing, helping them make informed choices.
- Multiplayer games like Vertical Shift and Mission X provide opportunities to play with friends and compete against others in virtual reality.
Everybody has had a few dreams about the possibilities of virtual reality. VR headsets are becoming more affordable, so you can experience your dreams in your own living room. However, consoles like the Oculus Quest headset are still relatively new, so games cost a lot if you buy many of them.
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The Best Horror Games On The Oculus Quest
If you’re a horror fan, there’s nothing better than experiencing frights in virtual reality.
Luckily, free games are available on each VR headset, and the Oculus Quest has a bunch of great offerings that you can jump into for no extra charge. There are even free multiplayer games on the Oculus Quest that you can play with all your friends. Here are the best games on the Oculus Quest that you can play for free.
A handful of the games on this list are available via SideQuest. This is a game library and storefront that operates independently from Meta. As such, it offers both free and paid games that are not available on the Meta Quest store. For more information on how to use SideQuest, visit their official website.
Other games are only available through Meta App Lab. This means that they can be found on the Meta Quest store, but only by searching for the exact name.
Updated December 25, 2024, by Branden Lizardi: It’s Christmas morning, you just opened presents, and lucky you! You have a brand new Meta Quest 3 (or maybe the Quest 3 S)! As excited as you are to play something, you don’t have any games! Before you go spending even more money on games you don’t know if you’ll like, you can try some of the best free games available on the Quest. And as luck would have it, one of the most popular VR developers have released a free multiplayer game on the platform. To ensure you have plenty of options this holiday, we’ve updated this list accordingly.
Free Apps And Demos
Tetris Effect, Superhot, Hubris, Just 15 Minutes At A Time
Although the experience of a full game is great, you can also find many smaller apps to download for free, such as the YouTube app or game demos. There are many VR experiences available on the Oculus Browser and the YouTube app if you search for them.
Additionally, demos are the perfect way to get a feel of which games you find fun so that you can make an informed choice when purchasing new games. Creed: Rise To Glory, Superhot, Space Pirate Trainer, Beat Saber, and many more game demos are available for free, so you always have something to play if you want to try something brand new.
Dimensional Double Shift
From The Job Simulator Devs
Available Storefront |
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Meta Quest Store |
If you’ve gotten into VR, odds are you know about Job Simulator. The popular interactive VR game was a flagship title for nearly every VR platform on launch. The developers behind that genius, Owlchemy Labs, have produced something extra special for Meta Quest owners. Dimensional Double Shift takes the idea of doing mundane jobs in a wacky way, and rebuilds it for a multiplayer format.
Ranging from diners to garages, you and up to three friends can collaboratively work together to mix, tinker, toss, and whatever actions take your whimsey. There’s a level of interactivity rarely seen in gaming available. It’s also built specifically to make the most of the Quests hand tracking systems, so you don’t even need controllers. Best of all: it’s free! So you don’t need to worry about everyone in your friend group having to buy a copy.
Don’t have a ton of local friends with VR? The game also has it’s own Discord server, where you can pair up with like-minded gamers in similar situations.
Big Ballers VR
Available Storefront |
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Meta Quest Store |
There are plenty of different free-to-player shooters out there. And while sci-fi scenes and jungle games of tag are fun, sometimes you want something a bit more grounded in reality (even if virtual). You need some good ol’ fashioned sports! That’s where Big Ballers VR comes in. This free-to-play sports game offers multiple different games, from Basketball to Baseball. It even has sports that start with different letters.
There’s also a strong focus on community, encouraging friendly games with like-minded VR gamers in online matches. Pair this with the slew of customization options, and it becomes a great space for finding one’s virtual identity in a sports-centric environment. Best of all, it’s completely free to play.
NoClip VR
The Backrooms With Your Own Eyes
Available Storefront |
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Meta Quest Store, SideQuest |
For those unfamiliar, The Backrooms is a wiki-style horror narrative about a series of landscapes found in between reality. The best-known floor is the first one, where an endless maze of off-yellow office hallways hides a strange monster. Nowhere is safe, every resource is scarce, and there is no escape… right?
NoClip VR is a fan-made adaptation of several floors in the Backrooms. Run from monsters, navigate mazes, and join friends in Multiplayer. If you’re a fan of the horror narrative it provides, this offers a unique way to experience it directly. Those who enjoyed it can support the developers by buying an optional DLC that adds more hazmat patterns and new levels.
OpenBrush
Who Needs A Clean Art Studio Anyway?
Available Storefront |
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Meta App Lab, SideQuest |
Painting is a fun hobby by itself, but it’s even cooler in a 3D VR environment where you can color to your heart’s content. Free to play, the SideQuest game Open Brush allows you to fulfill your fantasies of painting in a three-dimensional space where things come to life through imagery, which is much more exciting than the regular thing.
With an entire room to let your creativity shine, you’ll fall in love with Open Brush very quickly. If you like art, then Open Brush is one of the best Oculus Quest games available for your use, and it’s free, which is the cherry on top of what is already a spectacular app.
Haunted Warehouse
Available Storefront |
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SideQuest |
Horror games are perhaps the most intense form of virtual reality entertainment. This is because the terrifying scenes you’ll find feel all too real, and you’re put in the center of it to interact with the spooky atmosphere up close and personal. As such, horror games are rarely free when it comes to VR, but this isn’t a problem for Haunted Warehouse.
In this adventure, you’ll explore a dark warehouse with only your headset to keep you company. Discovering and interacting with the enemy inside is sure to give you the creeps, and it’s up to you to escape that darkness before it’s too late. If horror is your thing, then Haunted Warehouse for the SideQuest is worth a playthrough.
Vertical Shift
Sci-Fi Platforming At It’s Best
Available Storefront |
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Meta App Lab, SideQuest |
Vertical Shift is a free extreme sports game for the Oculus Quest. It features multiple modes, including a racing mode and even freeze tag. Each mode is multiplayer, so you can compete with nine other players at any given time, making for quite the experience if you have a lot of friends who also own an Oculus Quest.
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You’ll have a Zenith Suit to help you move around, which allows you to fly through the air using a glider and jet booster while also granting you the equivalent of a grappling hook. With multiple modes and an extremely entertaining movement system, you’ll never get tired of Vertical Shift.
Squadron One
Some Solid Interstellar Dogfighting
Available Storefront |
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Meta App Lab, SideQuest |
Space-themed dogfighting games are particularly popular nowadays. They’re already a lot of fun on a traditional screen, but they’re even better in virtual reality. In Squadron One, you take control of your own spaceship and engage in combat against other ships.
You can fight against AI or other players in the multiplayer. Playing Deathmatch in Squadron One is quite fun, especially once you get used to the controls. There’s even a tutorial mode to get you up and running, so it’s easy to jump into this experience. If you’re looking for a free game set in space, then Squadron One is one of the best, especially if you enjoy fast-paced VR games.
Make A Little Robot Friend In This Official Meta Game
Available Storefront |
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Meta Quest Store |
Picture this: it’s the ’80s, and you’re kickin’ it in an RV full of (at the time) modern technology. And with a single press, a small, adorable robot comes to life in front of you. You then spend the next however-long playing with the various games, gizmos, and gadgets surrounding your enclosed desk space.
While not developed by Oculus, it was officially commissioned for the Quest headsets by the company. The concern for quality is apparent, as this is one of the most polished experiences you’ll find for free on the Oculus Quest game store. It’s a tremendously charming experience, with a healthy handful of things to do. It’s hard to believe it’s free.
Hax
Action Packed Robot Shooting
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SideQuest |
Hax is a futuristic shooter that you can play using SideQuest. In this FPS game, you’ll need to battle powerful robots using various guns, and it’s actually quite a blast if you enjoy its theme. You’ll have lots of attachments to customize your guns and make them your own.
The game is currently in Early Access, and the downloadable version is defined as a Demo. But since there’s no ‘full version’ available, this is effectively the only game option.
The shooting mechanics are also a lot of fun, which is common in first-person shooters in virtual reality due to the immersion they offer compared to regular video games. With only a few free first-person shooters for the Oculus Quest that are particularly high quality, Hax is a thrilling experience for any fan of FPS games.
Survive It
Classic Zombie Wave Shooter
Available Storefront |
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Itch.io |
Looking for a good old-fashioned zombie wave survival game? Survive It is exactly that. Pick up weapons, shoot the oncoming hordes of undead, and reload in between. This is a simple and easy-to-follow formula that remains timelessly entertaining.
The graphics won’t win any awards. But they’re consistent and keep true to the theme and style. What rough edges it does have are easily forgivable for how fun (and free) the game is.
This game can be found on SideQuest but links to the Itch.io page. Download and run the APK file on your Quest to install it.
Ultimechs
Rocket League Without The Wheels
Available Storefront |
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Meta App Lab |
Take Rocket League and replace the cars with humanoid mechs. Throw it into VR, and you have Ultimechs. This free multiplayer ‘sports’ game has you build and customize your own giant mechs. These mechs are then placed into a large arena with goals on each side. By jumping from spot to spot, you have to attack the giant game ball, coaxing it into the opponent’s goal.
If you’re the type to get hooked by a good competitive multiplayer game, this will absolutely pull you in. It’s easy to learn but tough to master, making for some tremendous replayability for a free title. “Just one more game,” as they say.
V-Speedway
A Racing Game That Doesn’t Need To Be Sci-Fi
Available Storefront |
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Meta App Lab |
V-Speedway is a fantastic game to start you off if you typically enjoy racing games. You get to drive in first-person, and you’ll have a blast racing around each of the exciting tracks. If you want to test your skill against others, there are even online leaderboards that can compare your progress against other players.
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Whether you want to play Time Attack, Single Race, or just ride around the tracks without restraint, there’s something for everyone in V-Speedway. The final plus of V-Speedway is that it features extra customization, including the ability to switch which side of the car the steering wheel is on.
Discovery
A Minecraft-Like Sandbox Game
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Meta App Lab, SideQuest |
While the game is available on both SideQuest and the App Lab, the App Lab version costs $10, while the SideQuest version remains free. The paid version has fewer restrictions on resources and can support multiplayer.
Discovery is a free base-building game with a creative mode. You can use blocks to build in a 3D world and build to your heart’s content, regardless of whether you want to create a tiny cottage or a massive city. With so much creativity for you to harness, there’s a lot for you to build.
If you don’t like to build alone, then Discovery is perfect because you can play online with your friends. There are also over 200 different building materials to use, so your buildings will also have a unique touch. If you like base-building games outside of virtual reality, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how fun Discovery is once you’re immersed in your Oculus Quest headset.
Gods Of Gravity
Control The Cosmos
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Meta Quest Store |
Gods Of Gravity is a space game with many unique twists. Firstly, you’re in space and can control celestial objects, such as the sun, for example. You can control planets and other objects after sending ships to them, so it’s a thrilling experience, to say the least.
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You can even enter into a competition with your friends to see which of you can gain control of the most celestial objects. The best part of Gods Of Gravity is that its primary location is space; there aren’t too many free games on the Oculus Quest that take you to space in any form, so this is a unique experience you can try out.
If you do have the cash to spare, Gods of Gravity has a paid add-on called Ultra that adds tons of maps, a single-player campaign, cosmetics, and game modifiers.
Harvest VR
Casual Real-Time Farming
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Meta App Lab |
Where there are indie games, there are farming games. The two have gradually become ubiquitous over the years. And with how easy it is to develop for the Quest, this platform is no exception. While there aren’t a ton of options out there, Harvest VR manages to be both one of the best farming games in VR while also being free on the Oculus store. Plant seeds, grow crops, tend to farm animals, go mining, fishing, and cooking; your options are surprisingly expansive.
It’s not an incredibly refined experience, but it has content to keep you occupied. Development for the game has ended, so what you get is what you will always get. But for this price tag (free), we can’t complain. It’s available via the Oculus Store App Lab, so be sure to search for the game’s full name.
Gun Raiders
A Multiplayer Shooter Akin To Halo
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Meta Quest Store |
Gun Raiders is one of the best first-person shooters on the Oculus Quest, so you’ll be glad to hear that it’s free to play from the start. There are four different game modes for you to choose from, including Team Deathmatch and Free For All, so you can play solo or with a group of other players.
If you like standard FPS games, then you’re sure to love Gun Raiders and everything in it. Additionally, updates are still released for this game, so you’ll never become bored with the endless content they have in store for the future.
Elixir
Who Can Say No To A Free Drink?
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Meta Quest Store |
Elixir is a one-of-a-kind experience like nothing else you’ll see on the Oculus Quest or elsewhere. Although it’s a fairly short experience, it’s fun to play since it throws you into an unknown world where you have to experiment with all sorts of different things.
From mixtures to dragons, there’s no telling what you’ll encounter before you enter the world of Elixir and experience it for yourself, so prepare for everything magical. Although Elixir is short compared to other games on the Oculus Quest, you’ll likely want to experience it a few times due to how much fun it is to play.
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