UPDATE: The Oculus Quest form for submitting your concept is now open.

We're excited about the upcoming launch of Oculus Quest, our new 6DOF all-in-one VR headset that is focused first and foremost on fantastic game experiences. Since our announcement in September, we've been working fast to finish the hardware, optimize core software, and bring a catalog of great games and experiences to Oculus Quest. We're pretty excited about our launch lineup and think that players will be as well.

In addition to making a great VR headset, we feel a strong responsibility to make the Quest VR content ecosystem successful for both developers and players. The Rift ecosystem has taught us that VR players respond to titles that have polish, substance, and depth, whether they are built by AAA game studios or talented indies. We hope that when players get into their Oculus Quest headset their library showcases the innovation, sophistication, and development talent that exists in VR today, and inspires future developers.

To get to that bar, we have to start with a quality-first approach.

High-quality, innovative titles tend to be expensive to build, and developers need confidence that they are shipping into an ecosystem that will generate a return on investment. We've set a high bar for content quality on Quest, higher than we've ever enforced before, in order to build a platform where everyone has confidence in the quality of the titles they're buying and developers know that their investments have a strong chance of success.

Our focus on quality for the Quest platform has changed how we accept application submissions to publish for the Oculus Quest Store. We're requiring that all Oculus Quest developers provide a concept document for us to review before the developer can access the store submission process and non-public development resources. We're looking for evidence of quality and probable market success, and alignment to our Oculus Developer Content Guidelines. The concept submission process is a chance for developers to show us not only how cool their title will be, but also to explain how it will resonate with the Quest audience. There will be a form for submitting concepts launched under “Support” in the Oculus Developer Center in early March.

The goal of this change is developer success on our platform. If we feel that your app is not a fit for Quest, we'd like to let you know that early in the development process, before you've made significant production investments, rather than at the end. That means it's important to submit a concept document for review as early in your development cycle as possible. Those titles that pass this early review unlock direct support and resources from Oculus to help you make your title as high quality as it can possibly be. This new process is specific to Oculus Quest: no changes have been made to our application submission system for Rift or Oculus Go.

Like all of our other devices, any Oculus Quest can be used for development. Once you have registered a Oculus Developer Organization, you will be able put the device in Developer Mode. From there you can use our free integration with Unity and Unreal, or code directly against our SDK. Any developer familiar with these tools will immediately feel at home developing for Oculus Quest. When Oculus Quest launches later this year, you'll be able to buy a device from your favorite retailer and start writing code for it immediately.

We'll be on-hand at GDC to answer questions and discuss this process in more detail. We look forward to seeing what you build.

- Chris

FAQs

Q. Is the Rift store changing?

A. No. A lot of innovation has come from developers on Oculus Rift, and as the most mature VR ecosystem in the market, we still believe that is the best place for developers to experiment and build their portfolio and credibility in 6DOF. We want to ensure that developers publishing experiences to Oculus Quest are set up for success and creating a thriving ecosystem, and this philosophy will help us get there.

Q. Why are you doing this? What is the TL;DR of this?

A. We have always had a curated approach on our storefronts to ensure that developers are meeting our content policy guidelines and that customers were getting safe and comfortable VR experiences. As a brand-new platform that will be introducing VR to many people for the first time, we want to make sure that new Oculus Quest players find the best types of experiences they expect from a VR title: satisfying depth of play, fidelity, and a presence in VR that utilizes 6DOF + movement.

Q: What is the process to request a developer kit?

A. We've distributed the majority of our dev kits but are on the lookout for exciting experiences and will get in touch with you. Otherwise, like all of our other devices, the consumer version of Oculus Quest can be used for development. All you need is an Oculus Developer Organization to put the device in Developer Mode. From there, you can use our free integration to Unity and Unreal, or code directly against our SDK. Any developer familiar with these tools will immediately feel at home developing for Oculus Quest. When Oculus Quest launches later this year, you'll be able to buy a device from your favorite retailer and start writing code for it immediately.

Q: I have a developer kit or plan to buy one at launch, does this mean I can publish on Quest?

A. No. Our focus on quality for the Quest platform has changed how we accept application submissions to the Oculus Quest Store. We're requiring that all Oculus Quest developers provide a concept document for us to review before the developer can access the store submission process. For developers who received early Quest developer kits, the Oculus team will have been in touch about the status of their applications. If not, they should reach out to their Oculus contact.

Q: I see a lot of developers out there with Quest developer kits or say their games are coming to Quest. Are their games coming to Quest?

A. Not necessarily. We're excited to see the developer enthusiasm out there for Quest, and we're committed to working closely and collaboratively with qualified and approved developers to get their titles to a quality bar that will ultimately serve the player community in VR.

With so much in flux during the development cycle, we can't comment on any specific rumored Quest releases, but we can definitely confirm that if a game is being released to Quest, you'll know about it from both the developer and us.

Q: If I ship an app on Quest, does that mean I can also publish this for Rift?

A: We will absolutely work with you to get your title to as many platforms as it makes sense. We have always been a strong proponent for cross-platform accessibility and connecting player communities. For Quest titles, developers will have the option to open up cross-platform access, and we will work closely with developers to help get their games there.

Q. Will you publish guidelines for what you are looking for?

A: Our Quest publishing guidelines align with our Oculus Developer Content Guidelines. We are looking for high-quality, polished experiences, especially those that demonstrate the deep, surprising, delightful, and moving experiences possible in VR and are custom-made for the untethered immersion Quest offers.

Q: What is the expected response window to my concept submission?

A: We anticipate responding to all submissions within 10 business days, but the timeline may vary due to volume.

Q: When will I know if my app is going to be on Quest?

A: We are aiming to respond to developers within 10 business days once they have submitted their concept, though the timeline may vary due to volume. The purpose of the new Quest application intake process is to ensure all developers have signal from Oculus on their concept early before making a significant production investment. If approved, developers will then unlock resources on the Oculus side to help. Note that even after concept approval developers will still need to submit their final applications for review prior to launch.

Q: Where can I submit my Quest concept for consideration?

A. There will be an intake form in the Oculus Developer Center under “Support” where you can submit a 3-slide presentation outlining your Quest application concept, team experience and investment among other pertinent information. We will open the intake form in early March.