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Installing PWA on Meta Quest Browser?

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Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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  • 2024-04-06 at 12:20 am #72118
    tomtm
    Customer

    Hello everyone,
    Has anyone been able to install a PWA on the Meta Quest 3? Unfortunately, there’s no download button in the browser, unlike in Chrome or Edge, where it works very well. It would be very convenient if one could drag the shortcut to the taskbar in the Meta Quest instead of always having to access the link via bookmarks.

    Best, Tom

    2024-04-06 at 8:05 am #72119
    Alexander Kovelenov
    Staff

    Hi Tom,

    According to the Oculus documentation, there should be an option to install PWA:

    Unfortunately, we have not checked this on our own Quest device, going to do this ASAP.

    Soft8Soft Tech Chief
    X | FB | LinkedIn

    2024-04-06 at 8:54 am #72123
    tomtm
    Customer

    Hi Alexander

    I just publishef the default verge3d cube
    scene with PWA activated.
    While in Edge Browser on windows it apears to download and install, in the Meta 3 Browser I couldn‘t find any download and intstall button.
    Quest 3 Browser also looks slightly different in the screenshot above.

    Thanks Tom

    PS: I see huge potential using Verge3d for
    creating VR applications, compared to most XR
    websites promoted by Meta itself, working with Verge3d and corresponding app like Blender it‘s easy to get much butter quality in no time!
    I‘m excited!

    2024-04-08 at 3:25 pm #72174
    visualizer
    Customer

    Hey
    Tom,
    I am also using Verge a lot on Quest 3 for different different works.
    I was having in mind to check this PWA on Quest3 a week’s time back however your feedback puts me as well in waiting for some work around for this.

    As you know Chrome doesn’t work on Quest 3, Metaquest browser has its own limitations as of now.
    Just a suggestion, have you tried installing other browser such as Opera or Edge by using sidequest?

    2024-04-09 at 3:00 pm #72213
    tomtm
    Customer

    Hi visualizer

    No I haven’t tried to install another browser through sidequest, I didn’t know about this site :-)
    I just found this workaround, but I don’t understand what he is exactly is doing or if this makes any sense,

    Greets Tom

    2024-04-09 at 8:30 pm #72217
    Thomas Fabini
    Customer

    Hi Tom,
    that’s Nik Lever’s tutorial on building and installing a apk from a PWA. In this process you create an .apk (android package), an app which you can upload to a headset and run it there.
    Building an apk is a bit a longer process of building an app which involves the Android SDK to be installed correctly along with other utilities. If i recall correctly Nik Lever uses an online service to build the apk instead.

    After building an apk you can upload it to the headset using SideQuest or adb tools (which requires developer mode to be enabled on the headset) using the command line, both ways work.

    You can then find and run your app in the ‘Unknown sources’ section of the headsets apps, it will run in a dedicated window like downloaded apps do and will enter VR-mode, too.
    For the first run it will connect to the url where it was build from, but if the offline cache was enabled it will run offline after that, at least that’s how it worked for me.

    2024-04-09 at 9:24 pm #72219
    tomtm
    Customer

    Hi Thomas
    Thanks for explaining, it sounds a bit too complicated for my (little) skills.
    Maybe Quest Browser will support PWA in future releases or ist there something speaking against? I also think it’s too complicated if you need to deliver the VR Projects in such a complicated way to the clients. So the only easy solution now is going over bookmarks.

    I just found this post, but so far it’s not really released.

    Thank you
    Tom

    • This reply was modified 8 months, 1 week ago by tomtm.
    2024-04-10 at 7:16 am #72222
    Thomas Fabini
    Customer

    Hi Tom,
    yes the process itself is more on the technical side and tedious at first until you get everything right. The manifest, all the requirements for building, all that. Then, once you got the hang of it, it’s quite straightforward.

    But it is a different approach. It means your clients will have to upload the apks themselves, meaning, they need to install SideQuest or other tools unless the app is released in the Oculus store – which with proprietary content isn’t what you usually want.

    On the other hand having an url and a pop-up asking to install your app is much easier in most aspects. That if – regarding your actual question – oculus would support it. I have to admit i never have seen the installation prompt when testing out my PWAs. The information i found is contradictory: Oculus states it should actually work, as Alexander pointed out. Another website stated in 2022 that ‘When a user visits a site, the Oculus Browser can help them discover the app if (and only if) it is available in the Oculus Store.’ This might be a reason why they (officially) work, and same time don’t work, but it would defy the purpose of a PWA completely, from my point of view.

    If i happen to find out more about app discovery for the Quest 2 / 3 i’ll try and post my findings here.

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