DroidDeck VR: SteamVR on Quest, glasses and Cardboard
DroidDeck VR arrived in version 0.5.0. DroidDeck can now run Valve’s ARM64 SteamVR on a Meta Quest 3 or 3S, on supported XR glasses, or on a phone in a Cardboard viewer. This guide explains each option, how to start SteamVR and what the developers say is still experimental.
Short answer. Meta Quest 3 and 3S: SteamVR in the headset from the standard APK, experimental. Meta Quest 2: experimental, not yet verified. XR glasses: VITURE, RayNeo and XREAL 1S, with the phone as controller. Cardboard: any supported phone in a VR viewer.
Opens the official GitHub releases page. This site does not host APK files.
Three ways to use DroidDeck VR
| Device | What you get | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Quest 3 and 3S | DroidDeck as a 2D panel, plus immersive SteamVR with head tracking, Touch controllers and haptics | Experimental |
| Meta Quest 2 | The same app with its own Adreno 6xx driver | Experimental, unverified |
| XR glasses | Games on the glasses, phone as controller, head-tracked virtual screen, Play SteamVR on supported models | Varies by model |
| Phone in a Cardboard viewer | Split-screen VR with the phone’s rotation sensor for head tracking (3DoF) | Experimental |
Source: the 0.5.0 release notes and the Quest, smart-glasses and Cardboard documents in the official repository, checked October 23, 2026.
DroidDeck on Meta Quest 3 and 3S
Quest support is built into the standard DroidDeck-0.6.0.apk; there is no separate Quest package. On first launch DroidDeck detects the headset and picks Quest-specific driver defaults. You can change them later and your choices are kept.
DroidDeck is not in the Meta Horizon Store, so the APK has to be sideloaded onto the headset. The project’s documentation does not include step-by-step sideloading instructions.
How to start SteamVR on Quest
- Start a Steam session in DroidDeck as usual and sign in.
- Open the session menu and go to the SteamVR tab.
- Install SteamVR. This is needed only once.
- Choose Enter SteamVR. The headset switches from the flat panel to immersive SteamVR.
The left Touch controller’s menu button opens and closes the SteamVR dashboard. The right Meta button stays reserved for the headset’s own system. Closing the immersive view stops SteamVR and returns you to the flat DroidDeck panel, where the normal Steam session continues.
What has been tested on Quest
The developers report that on a Quest 3, Thumper and The Thrill of the Fight produced clean immersive scenes, and SUPERHOT rendered correctly after a fix, though its gameplay is still unverified. In dashboard tests the headset received roughly 43 to 68 new stereo images per second. The documentation is clear that these results do not prove smooth gameplay at the headset’s refresh rate, and that game input and sustained performance still need testing.
Flat games inside SteamVR
An experimental option shows ordinary flat games on a screen inside SteamVR. Start SteamVR first, then add droiddeck-steamvr-game %command% to the game’s Steam launch options. Remove it again to go back to the normal panel launch.
DroidDeck on Meta Quest 2
Quest 2 uses an older Adreno 6xx GPU, so version 0.5.0 gives it a separate experimental driver path. The documentation states plainly that Quest 2 operation has not been verified. Treat it as a test, not a supported setup.
DroidDeck with XR glasses
Connect supported glasses and games play straight on them at the glasses’ own refresh rate while the phone becomes the controller. Refresh rate, 3D mode, brightness, volume and dimming can be changed from the app or the session menu, depending on the model. Set up the head-tracked virtual screen in Setup → Smart glasses; it then works in DroidDeck’s menus, desktop sessions and games. When supported glasses are connected, a Play SteamVR button appears beside Play Steam.
| Glasses | Head tracking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VITURE One, One Lite, Pro and Pro XR | 3DoF | Integrated |
| VITURE Luma and Luma Pro | 3DoF | Integrated |
| VITURE Pro 2, Beast, Luma Ultra | 3DoF; Luma Ultra adds experimental 6DoF | Need an APK built with VITURE’s optional SDK |
| RayNeo Air series and GT series | 3DoF | Integrated, with orientation calibration |
| XREAL 1S | 3DoF | Experimental. Other XREAL models are display only |
3DoF tracks head rotation; 6DoF also tracks position. In SteamVR on glasses, Joy-Cons can act as VR hands, and the phone’s camera can track bare hands with Quest-style pinch gestures. The smart-glasses support matrix has the full model list and limits.
Cardboard VR on a phone
Cardboard mode splits the phone screen into two lens-corrected eyes for a Google Cardboard style viewer. Find it in the session drawer under Display → Cardboard VR. It has two modes:
- Virtual screen: any game, Steam or the desktop hangs as a flat screen in front of you, kept in place by the phone’s rotation sensor as you turn your head.
- SteamVR: install Valve’s ARM64 SteamVR from the same menu (571 MB) and start it. Windows VR games such as Thumper and The Thrill of the Fight run through Proton.
Viewer profile, eye distance, screen size and distance, and recentering can all be adjusted while you play. Cardboard tracking is rotation only, so leaning or walking does not move the view.
What you need for DroidDeck VR
- DroidDeck 0.5.0 or newer. Earlier versions have no VR support.
- A supported device. Quest 3 or 3S, or for glasses and Cardboard, a phone that meets the normal DroidDeck device requirements.
- VR games you own on Steam. SteamVR itself is installed from inside DroidDeck.
- Storage. About 3 GB for the runtime, SteamVR on top, then your games.
- Patience. Every VR path in 0.5.0 is new. Expect some games not to start or to run slowly.
For problems, the developers ask for reports in the DroidDeck Discord with session logs attached. The technical background is in the Quest and Cardboard VR documents.
DroidDeck VR questions
Does DroidDeck work on Meta Quest 3?
Yes, experimentally. Since version 0.5.0 the standard DroidDeck APK runs on Meta Quest 3 and 3S. It shows as a 2D panel, and SteamVR can be started in the headset from the session menu. No separate Quest APK is needed.
Does DroidDeck work on Meta Quest 2?
Version 0.5.0 added experimental Quest 2 support with its own GPU driver. The project documentation says Quest 2 operation has not yet been verified.
Do I need a PC for DroidDeck VR?
No. SteamVR and the games run on the headset or phone itself. Nothing is streamed from a computer.
Does DroidDeck VR need root?
No. The Quest documentation states that no root and no separate XR APK are required.
Which VR games work on DroidDeck?
There is no official list. The developers report clean scenes from Thumper and The Thrill of the Fight on Quest 3, and SUPERHOT rendering correctly after a fix, but gameplay and performance still need wider testing.
Which smart glasses does DroidDeck support?
The 0.5.0 release names VITURE Pro XR, RayNeo Air and GT glasses, and XREAL 1S as experimental. The support matrix in the repository lists more VITURE models, some of which need a build with VITURE’s optional SDK.
How big is the SteamVR download?
The Cardboard VR documentation gives 571 MB for Valve’s ARM64 SteamVR, installed once from inside DroidDeck.
Back to the DroidDeck guide.