Virtual Desktop

Virtual Desktop is a productivity app from Virtual Desktop, Inc., created by developer Guy Godin. It first launched on Steam in March 2016 as a way to see your PC desktop inside a PC VR headset, and it was a launch app for the original Oculus Quest in May 2019. Today it is best known as a popular way to play PC VR games wirelessly on standalone headsets.

What it does

• Remote desktop: shows a Windows or macOS computer on a large virtual screen, with support for multiple monitors.
• PC VR streaming: runs SteamVR and other PC VR games on a Windows PC and streams them to the headset over Wi-Fi, so you do not need a cable.
• Media: plays videos, including 3D side-by-side and over-under formats, in virtual environments.
• Remote connections over the internet, plus support for Bluetooth keyboards, mice and gamepads.

The app has added features over the years, including emulated body and finger tracking for PC VR games in 2024, and a wired USB connection option in beta in 2026.

Requirements

You need the free Virtual Desktop Streamer app running on your computer. PC VR game streaming needs a VR-ready Windows PC, and a fast router, ideally connected to the PC by Ethernet, makes a big difference to image quality and latency.

Platforms and what to know before buying

• It costs $24.99 on the Meta Horizon Store for Quest headsets and on the PICO Store.
• It is also available for HTC headsets through Viveport and for Android XR headsets such as the Samsung Galaxy XR.
• The Steam listing is a separate app for PC VR headsets, now called Virtual Desktop Classic; it is not meant for Quest or PICO headsets. Buy the version for the store of the headset you own.

Meta rates it comfortable, and it supports controllers and hand tracking.