Develop

Software Setup

Updated: Oct 1, 2026

Create your Meta developer accounts, install Unity and Meta developer tools, and configure a Meta VR device for development.

This Quickstart uses Meta Quest Developer Hub (MQDH) to configure Unity projects, manage device connections, deploy APKs, access performance tools, and upload builds to the Meta Horizon Store.

Account setup

Create the accounts you will need to access developer tools, download SDKs, and publish apps.

Create a Meta developer account through Meta developer sign-up.
Complete account verification⁠.
Create a Unity ID at id.unity.com⁠.

Account setup is complete when your Meta developer account is verified and you have created a Unity ID.

Software downloads

Install the required software to build and deploy apps for Meta VR devices.

Install the Meta Horizon mobile app⁠ on your phone.
Download and install Unity Hub⁠.
Install Unity Editor (6000.0.66f2 or higher) with these modules:
- Android Build Support
- OpenJDK
- Android SDK and NDK Tools
Download and install MQDH for your operating system from MQDH Getting Started, then log in with the same Meta developer credentials used to set up your device.

Software setup is complete when the required Unity modules are installed and you can sign in to MQDH with your Meta developer account.

Device setup

You can skip this step if you are only using Meta XR Simulator. Otherwise, enable Developer Mode on your Meta VR device so you can deploy and debug apps.

Before enabling developer mode, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

You are a registered Meta developer with a verified Meta account. To check your account status, see Verification⁠ in the Developer Dashboard.
You are at least 18 years old.
Your device does not have any device-level restrictions that prevent enabling developer mode.

Follow these steps to enable developer mode:

On your mobile device, open the Meta Horizon app.
In the app, tap the headset icon in the toolbar.
Your paired headset should appear at the top of the screen. Tap the headset item, which displays the model and status of your paired headset.
Tap Headset Settings beneath the image of your headset.
Tap Developer Mode.
Toggle Developer Mode to the on position.
Use a USB-C data cable to connect the device to your computer.
Note: To set up without a computer, check the setup documentation for your specific device on Meta Quest Help Center⁠.
Put on your device.
On your device, open the Quick Control menu item.
Select Open Settings, displayed as a gear icon. Then, open the Developer tab and toggle MTP Notification on.
When asked to allow USB debugging, select Always allow from this computer.

Developer Mode is intended for development tasks such as running, debugging and testing applications. Engaging in other activities may result in account limitations, suspension, or termination. For more information, see Content Guidelines.

After completing the procedure, open MQDH > Device Manager and verify that your device has a green Active status.

Verify connection & Android Debug Bridge (ADB)

You can skip this step if you are only using Meta XR Simulator.

Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is included with Unity’s Android SDK tools in /Android/SDK/platform-tools/.

On Windows, download the OEM USB driver, extract the oculus-adb-driver-2.0 ZIP, open /usb_driver/, right-click android_winusb.inf, and select Install. On macOS, skip the driver installation.
Add the platform-tools directory to your system path:
- Windows: C:\Program Files\Unity\Hub\Editor\{version}\Editor\Data\PlaybackEngines\AndroidPlayer\SDK\platform-tools
- macOS: /Applications/Unity/Hub/Editor/{version}/PlaybackEngines/AndroidPlayer/SDK/platform-tools
Run the following command to list connected devices:
```
adb devices
```
Confirm that the output lists your device with the device status. For example:
```
List of devices attached
1PASH9BB939351	device
```
If no device appears, check the USB connection, confirm that USB debugging is allowed on the device, and verify that the device has a green Active status in MQDH > Device Manager.