How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (2024)

The Meta Quest 3 is one of the most capable standalone VR headsets on the market right now, offering impressive performance, a great visual experience and even mixed reality capabilities – but did you know you can also use it to play Xbox games?

Yep, that’s right, you can play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 as well as the older Meta Quest 2 and the high-end Meta Quest Pro with the release of the Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta) app on the Meta Store in late December 2023.

That means you can now stream a library of Xbox games available with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription on a huge virtual display, no console required. Pretty cool, right?

How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (1)

Save 20% on the M1 MacBook Air

This brilliant MacBook Air M1 deal gets you a brilliant compact laptop at a 20% discount.

  • Amazon
  • Save 20%
  • Now £797.97

View Deal

If you’re interested, here’s how to play some of the best Xbox games from the comfort of your Meta Quest 3 VR headset. We’ve also got the top Meta Quest 3 tips and tricks if you’re looking to get the most out of your headset.

What you’ll need:

  • A Meta Quest 2, 3 or Pro headset
  • An Xbox controller
  • An Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription
  • A fast internet connection
  • Quest V60 software or later

The Short Version

  1. Put on your headset.
  2. Open the Meta Store app.
  3. Search for Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta).
  4. Click Get.
  5. Open the app and click Get Started.
  6. Put your Xbox controller into pairing mode.
  7. Select your Xbox controller on your headset.
  8. Click Pair to complete the pairing process.
  9. Click Done to finish the initial setup.
  10. Restart your VR headset.
  11. Open the Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta) app and game away!
  1. Step
    1

    Put on your headset

    How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (2)

    The first step is to don your VR headset, whether that’s the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3 or the high-end Meta Quest Pro.How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (3)

  2. Step
    2

    How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (4)

    From the Meta toolbar on the home screen, click the Meta Store app icon. The icon looks like a shopping bag if you’re unfamiliar.How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (5)

  3. Step
    3

    Search for Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta)

    How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (6)

    In the store’s search menu, search for Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta) and select it from the list.How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (7)

  4. Step
    4

    Click Get

    How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (8)

    Despite being in a beta phase for now, the Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta) app is available to anyone – you just need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate account to take advantage of the cloud gaming on offer. With that said, hit Get to download and install the app on your headset.How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (9)

  5. Step
    5

    Open the app and click Get Started

    How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (10)

    Open the Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta) app and follow the setup process to connect your Xbox controller. To start, click Get Started.How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (11)

  6. Step
    6

    Put your Xbox controller into pairing mode

    How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (12)

    To pair your controller with your headset, you’ll need to put it in pairing mode. To do this, simply hold the Sync button on the upper-left side of the controller until the Xbox logo flashes repeatedly. In-headset, click Next.How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (13)

  7. Step
    7

    Select your Xbox controller on your headset

    How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (14)

    Depending on the controller you’re using, it may appear automatically in the list of discovered controllers. If, like us, it doesn’t appear, simply click Pair New Controller and select your controller from the list.How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (15)

  8. Step
    8

    Click Pair

    How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (16)

    To confirm the pairing process, click Pair in the pop-up that appears.How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (17)

  9. Step
    9

    Click Done to finish setup

    How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (18)

    Once the controller has been successfully paired, click Done to finish the setup and head to the Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta) game library.How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (19)

  10. Step
    10

    Restart your VR headset

    How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (20)

    There’s a known issue with the Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta) app not always recognising newly connected controllers. While a fix is in the works, Microsoft has said that restarting the VR headset after connecting the controller should fix the issue. To do that, hold the power button and select restart.How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (21)

  11. Step
    11

    Open the Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta) app and game away!

    How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (22)

    All that’s left to do is open the Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta) app and game away on a virtual big screen!How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (23)

Troubleshooting

Why can’t I install the Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta) app?

If you get an error message when trying to install the app from the Meta Store, make sure you’re running Quest software version V60 or later. It’s required for the app to function properly.

You might like…

How to check your play time on Nintendo Switch

Jessica Gorringe4 months ago

How to optimise your gaming PC for better FPS performance

Ryan Jones7 months ago

How to verify game files on Steam

Ryan Jones9 months ago

How to transfer data from your PS4 to PS5

Max Parker9 months ago

How to pair a PS5 controller

Ryan Jones9 months ago

How to delete a PS4 account

Ryan Jones10 months ago

How to play Xbox games on the Meta Quest 3 (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Duane Harber

Last Updated:

Views: 6567

Rating: 4 / 5 (71 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Duane Harber

Birthday: 1999-10-17

Address: Apt. 404 9899 Magnolia Roads, Port Royceville, ID 78186

Phone: +186911129794335

Job: Human Hospitality Planner

Hobby: Listening to music, Orienteering, Knapping, Dance, Mountain biking, Fishing, Pottery

Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.