On the Oculus Store, you’ll find both free and paid games for Quest 2.
The question now is…
Should you even bother buying games when there are free ones available?
Well, allow me to answer that for you.
Keep reading to find out:
- Reasons why you should and shouldn’t buy games for your Oculus Quest 2.
- How to install free Quest 2 VR games that aren’t listed in the official Oculus Store.
- 5 of the best free VR games that you can download right now to your Oculus Quest 2.
- And a lot more…
Do you have to buy games for Oculus Quest 2?
You don’t have to buy games for Oculus Quest 2. You can download VR titles for free at the Oculus Store and the 3rd-party platform SideQuest. However, there aren’t that many free VR games. So your choices will be limited. You’ll also miss out on the best and most popular titles if you opt not to buy.
The truth is, there’s really no right or wrong answer here.
You can decide to just download and play free games. Or you can also splurge on relatively expensive titles.
Either way is fine. And you can even do both. What matters is you have fun.
Nonetheless, let me give you 3 reasons why you should and shouldn’t buy Quest 2 games.
3 reasons why it’s ok not to buy VR games
#1: You’ll be able to save money
Let’s start with the obvious.
By sticking with free VR games…
You’d be able to spend your money on something more important.
Now, to be frank, VR games aren’t that expensive.
In fact, you can find many fun titles on the Oculus Store that are under $10. Examples of these include:
- Fail Factory.
- Townscraper VR.
- Hand Physics Lab.
- The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets.
- AFFECTED: The Manor – Complete Edition.
But still, free is even better than cheap.
#2: You won’t feel any buyer’s remorse
I’m sure many, if not all of us, have bought something but ended up regretting later.
And it can certainly happen with VR games, too.
No matter how well-reviewed a title is…
What may be enjoyable for some might still be boring or not worth playing for others.
In other words, there’s no guarantee you’ll love a particular VR game. And that’s even if all of your friends recommended it.
But if the game came for free…
You certainly won’t feel as bad. Sure, you won’t get back the time you spent playing it. But at least it didn’t cost you a penny.
Note: You can actually request a refund for purchased Oculus games. But this is subject to review. So there’s no guarantee you’ll get your money back.
#3: There are free VR games that are just as good as paid ones
Just because something is free doesn’t mean it’s terrible.
In reality, there are free VR games that can rival paid ones when it comes to the overall gameplay.
And I myself have even tried free VR titles that are so good…
I wouldn’t have minded paying for them.
As a matter of fact, I even compiled a list of my most highly-recommended free VR games.
And you can read them in a separate section below. So keep scrolling.
3 reasons you should consider buying VR games
#1: Limited choices with free games
1 of the major drawbacks of sticking with free VR games is you won’t have as many choices.
There are far fewer free games than there are paid ones.
Now, I can’t give you the exact figure. The number of titles on the Oculus Store changes practically every day.
But on average, out of several hundred games that are there…
About less than 50 are free. And some of them aren’t even full games. Just a demo or a free trial.
#2: You’ll miss out on the best VR games
Here’s a list of some of the most popular and best-reviewed VR titles in recent years:
- Beat Saber.
- Superhot VR.
- Half-Life: Alyx.
- Blade & Sorcery.
- I Expect You to Die.
Now, they vary in genre.
But do you know what they all have in common?
Aside from being well-received by the gaming community…
None of them are free.
And understandably so, considering the amount of money spent on developing those titles.
So, the point here is…
Should you decide not to spend money on games…
You’ll likely miss out on most of the best VR titles.
#3: You’ll be able to get the most out of your Quest 2
Most of the free VR games have relatively basic gameplay.
In fact, there are some that you can finish playing within a couple of hours.
In other words, most free games don’t really take advantage of what a Quest 2 is capable of doing.
So if you want to enjoy all the features that come with your VR headset…
You’d be better off playing paid games.
Free games for Oculus Quest 2
Just a heads up before we dive into my picks.
Not all of these VR games can be downloaded from the Oculus Store directly.
Some require that you go to SideQuest first.
“What exactly is that?”
SideQuest is a 3rd-party VR content platform. Here, you’ll find plenty of Quest 2 games, both free and paid.
And these are those that aren’t officially listed in the Oculus Store.
“Why not?”
Well, some of them are still in development mode. While others have yet to go through a full review from Meta.
But don’t worry. The ones that I’ll recommend from SideQuest are all top-notch titles.
They’ve all been reviewed and approved by many VR gamers worldwide.
Having said that, let me walk you through the process of installing games from this platform.
How to download Quest 2 games from SideQuest
- Open a web browser on your phone or laptop. And head to SideQuest.
- In the search bar, type in the title of the game that you’d like to download. Then click the search icon.
- Once you find the game, select it. This will open its description page.
- Look for the button with the label Download App (Oculus) and click it. You’ll find it on the right side of the page. This will also take you to the Oculus website.
- On the Oculus site, a pop-up message should appear. Click the OK button.
- Click Get. A new window should appear, prompting you to log in to your Oculus Account. So go ahead and sign in.
The game will then queue for download on your Quest 2.
So as soon as you turn on your VR headset and connect it to WiFi…
The installation process should begin. And you’ll be notified as soon as it’s available in your library.
Alright. Now that you know how to install games from SideQuest to your Quest 2…
Let’s begin with the list.
#1: Rec Room
Many gamers will agree when I say that this is among the best Oculus Quest 2 games.
In Rec Room, you’d be able to basically create your own world through the Maker Pen feature.
Want to make your own version of a puppy or an automobile?
It’s certainly possible.
In addition, you can also customize your avatar. And you can even build games from scratch.
You’ll also have the chance to interact with the thousands who use this app.
It’s such a fun game it’s hard to believe it’s actually free.
But don’t just take my word for it.
Check out this video to see what it’s like to play Rec Room:
You can download this game directly through the Oculus Store.
#2: Elixir
Ever since Harry Potter exploded in popularity in the late 90s…
Many have fantasized about becoming wizards.
And if you’re 1 of them…
You’d likely enjoy playing Elixir.
Here, you’ll start off as an apprentice to a socially-awkward sorceress. You’ll spend time in her lab learning how to cast magic spells through hand motions.
You’d also be able to teleport to various virtual fantasy worlds with just the snap of a finger.
And oh, you’ll also get the chance to play with the cutest dragon you’ll ever see.
This title is also available on the official Oculus Store.
#3: V-Speedway
If you’re a fan of those Fast and Furious movies…
I’d bet you’d have a ton of fun playing this game.
V-Speedway is an arcade racing game. And it has over 500,000 active users that you can compete against. There’s even an online leaderboard so you can track your progress.
But if you’d rather chill, there’s also a Free Ride mode in this game. Basically, you can just drive around in various locations. It’s actually relaxing.
I also love that this game features realistic control of your virtual vehicle. You won’t just press a button to stop and go.
Rather, you’d also have to adjust the gearshift just like you would with a real car.
A fun game overall. And you can get it through SideQuest.
#4: Gorilla Tag
Now here’s a simple VR game that even kids will appreciate.
Gorilla Tag is basically what the title suggests.
A gorilla will come chasing after you. And your goal is to avoid getting caught by all means necessary.
You’ll mostly be using your arms for running or jumping in this game.
And let me tell you…
You’ll be sweating buckets even after just a few minutes of playing.
So in a way, it’s a great game to play if you’re also looking to burn a few calories.
You can download it directly from the Oculus Store.
#5: Pavlov: Shack
Looking for a free first-person shooter game?
If so, I present to you Pavlov: Shack.
This military combat game features realistic weapons and tactics.
It has an offline mode where you can go up against bots. So you can still play this even if your Quest 2 isn’t connecting to WiFi.
But the fun here is in multiplayer mode. You and your friends can battle in a 5-on-5 shootout.
It’s available for download on the SideQuest website.
Warning: This game features intense violence. So I’d only recommend this for adults.
BONUS: How to find free games for your Oculus Quest 2
Now, I understand not all of you will 100% agree with my picks. And that’s okay.
Our preferences vary, after all.
That’s why I’d also like to teach you how to find free VR games on your own.
There are actually 3 ways to do this:
- Via the Oculus mobile app.
- By searching through the SideQuest website.
- Directly through your Oculus Quest 2 headset.
Each method is really easy to do. And I’ll provide the steps for all of them.
But I’ll leave it up to you which 1 to follow.
How to find free VR games directly through your Quest 2
- Put on your headset and power it on.
- Press the Oculus button. It’s on your right Touch controller. This should pull up the Universal Menu.
- Look for the icon with the shopping bag and select it. The Oculus Store panel should then appear.
- On the right side of the panel, you’ll see the Filter By option. Navigate to Pricing and select Free.
- Browse through the available free games. Once you find something that you like, click Get.
Tip: You may also filter by these other categories:
- Genre.
- Rating.
- Game Mode.
- Player Mode.
How to find free VR games via the Oculus mobile app
- Launch the Oculus app on your smartphone.
- On the bottom part of the home screen, tap Store.
- Look for the Filter icon. And tap it. It’s the 1 that looks like a cup.
- Under Filter, select Pricing. And choose Free.
- Swipe the filter panel to the right to close it. You should now see a list of all the available free games for download.
- Tap the title you want to install to your Quest 2. This will take you to its description page.
- Tap Get.
How to find free VR games via the SideQuest platform
- Open a web browser on your phone or laptop. And go to Sidequestvr.com.
- Click the Games tab.
- Under Browse Categories, look for App Lab. And select it.
- Click the Filter icon on the right side of the screen.
- Under the Platform category, select Quest.
- Under License, choose Free.
- Scroll down and browse through the selection of free titles.
- Click the VR game that you’d like to install on your headset.
- On the game’s main page, click the Download App (Oculus) button. This will open the Oculus site on another tab.
- Click the Get button and sign in with your Oculus account.