What you need to know
- Discord announced that it has a native app launcher available for the Meta Quest 2, Quest Pro, and Quest 3 series models on the Horizon App Store.
- The app will function similarly to what users would receive on their phone or PC, with servers, texts, group DMs, and more available.
- Meta Quest also features a Steam app, capable of streaming PCVR games directly to the headset.
Discord is a popular app among gamers and friends. The app gained even more popularity a few years back, and now it’s rolling out on Meta’s VR headsets.
Discord announced that its app is now available on Meta Quest, and users will find a familiar experience. Users with a Meta Quest 2, Quest Pro, or Quest 3 series model can download Discord via the Horizon App Store. The company says it’s breaking free from the Quest’s browser. Now, after downloading, users will find their Discord servers, DMs, Group DMs, and more, as they would on their phone or PC client.
Meta Quest users will also benefit from their previously created “Meta Avatars.” Discord says users can join video calls as their avatar. What’s more, streaming content from your PC is a common occurrence on Discord. With the Meta Quest, users can stream the VR game they’re playing while wearing their headset.
Discord worked on a refined experience that’s true to the Meta Quest as its app hits the store. Users can open Discord and pin its contents to their viewing space. This gives you an easy route to join/exit a server, send a quick text, or start streaming. Users getting started can check the FAQ if there are any issues.
Also, Meta informed Android Central that from June 30 to September 30, “users who download and sign into Discord on Meta Quest can claim one month of Discord Nitro.” Nitro is its subscription service, and claiming this would unlock HD streaming, 500MB file uploads, profile/avatar customization, custom emojis, and more.
Hey, join VC
Gamers got a wondrous app on the Meta Quest via Valve’s Steam library. Steam is a massive entry point for PC gaming. Thousands of new and old titles are available there, and now Meta’s VR headsets are in on it. The “Meta-approved” Steam Link app lets users (Quest 2 and Quest 3) play PCVR games. Basically, what you’re doing is streaming these titles to your VR headset. Users need Steam installed and a Wi-Fi 5 router (at least) to begin.
Then, from your PC, you’ll need to enable remote play for this connection to work. We’ve essentially got the full PC gamer package now: Steam and Discord. VR gamers are eating good, and it’s only getting better. Earlier this year, Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, discussed what’s going to change the Quest space for games. Bosworth stated that Meta was shifting its focus from first-party developed games to third-party.
Bosworth also stressed that “the narrative that Meta is abandoning VR is obviously false.”
Android Central’s Take
This sounds like the right call to me. If I had to choose between using Discord in my web browser or a native, well-built client, I’d pick the latter. There’s no way I’m fumbling with tabs. Just imagine doing that on a VR headset. I’m sure the UI is fine, but that’s not seamless. That’s not easy to pick up and ago. That sounds like work, and I’m glad Discord’s fixed that.