At the beginning of this month, Oculus introduced App Lab, a new way for developers to distribute apps directly to their users in a safe and secure platform through direct links or on platforms such as SideQuest without sideloading or going through Oculus’ strict content curation policy. Facebook retains the tight content curation policy on its official Quest Store but developers now have a new avenue through which they get can get their content to their community, be it apps in development or experimental content targeting a unique audience.

The prospect of accessing experimental content without sideloading to SideQuest is highly appealing to users and developers alike but one thing that App Lab lacked at its launch is a central directory where users can access all the new experimental content.

SideQuest has now created a new URL applab.games which comes in handy if you are looking for experimental Oculus Quest games that you can install without resorting to sideloading.

App Lab Games Directory
App Lab Games Directory

The new URL has just gone live with 17 apps already listed there as of the time of writing. If you click on any of the links, you will be taken to a listing on the Oculus website where you can purchase the app or add it to your Quest library.

App Lab to the Rescue

App Lab will be a huge a boon for developers looking to build a community or test their experimental ideas. Users, too, can now access this content without signing up as developers and enabling the developer mode on their Quest headsets.

App Lab features both free and paid apps and the apps are shareable via a URL or through Oculus Keys. App Lab is distinct from the Oculus Store which still retains the high level of curation and as a result, the App Lab apps will not appear in the Store. However, users who buy and install the App Lab apps will find them in their Quest library. Users can also search for App Lab apps by their exact name and they will find them in the “App Lab” section of the search results.

App Lab offers a huge improvement in convenience and user-friendliness since there is no requirement for a software and a PC to transfer the app to the virtual reality headset. The PC has been removed from the equation, a huge leap in ease-of-use and accessibility to experimental apps.

Through the applab.games URL, developers now have access to a directory to use as well as a memorable URL to share with their community. SideQuest is already a trusted name among Quest content buyers which adds even more credibility for developer projects on App Lab that the platform will aggregate. It’s a win-win for all. Developers have a trusted directory for their projects and users have a trusted URL where they can access the App Lab content.

This is also happening at a time when Facebook is projecting a lot of momentum with its XR projects. Oculus Quest 2 is already on the path to mainstream breakthrough and recently published figures show that the Oculus ecosystem is generating significant revenues for developers via its Store.

App Lab still doesn’t guarantee an easier path to Oculus Store but it should spawn some interesting apps along the way.

https://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/App-Lab-Games-Directory-600x390.pnghttps://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/App-Lab-Games-Directory-150x90.pngSam OchanjiTechnologyAt the beginning of this month, Oculus introduced App Lab, a new way for developers to distribute apps directly to their users in a safe and secure platform through direct links or on platforms such as SideQuest without sideloading or going through Oculus’ strict content curation policy. Facebook retains...VR, Oculus Rift, and Metaverse News - Cryptocurrency, Adult, Sex, Porn, XXX