Which VR headsets work with Steam? Here's a full guide to virtual reality on the Steam gaming app

Steam is the most popular marketplace for PC games, which means that it's also one of the best places to pick up virtual reality games. Valve even offers its own free Steam app solely to help you manage your VR titles: SteamVR.

There are dozens of unique VR headsets on the market right now, and a few years ago, when VR was still in its infancy, Steam only supported a few of them. But these days, SteamVR runs using a universal software solution called OpenVR, which can support nearly every modern VR headset you can buy, including standalone options like the Meta Quest 2 when you pair them with a PC.

Here's a list of the most popular VR headsets that Steam supports, along with some notes about how to get started with SteamVR.

All the VR headsets that work with Steam

If you go to the official page for SteamVR, you'll see that it says the app supports "HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality headset[s]." This is pretty outdated — you can tell because the app description at the top of the page doesn't even mention the Valve Index, Valve's own VR headset!

And if you look at any individual game's Steam store page, there's no box that tells you which VR headsets it works with anymore. That's because OpenVR should allow every game to work with any proper headset.

Still, here's a list of the most popular VR headsets currently on the market, all of which are confirmed to work with SteamVR — just so you can find your headset and have some peace of mind.

• Valve Index
• Meta Quest 2
• Meta Quest 3
• Meta Quest Pro
• HTC Vive Pro 2
• HTC Vive XR Elite
• Pimax Crystal
• Pimax 5K Super
• Pimax 8K X
• Lenovo ThinkReality VRX
• HP Reverb G2
• Varjo Aero (requires SteamVR base station)
• Varjo XR-4 (requires SteamVR base station)
• Varjo XR-3 (requires SteamVR base station)

These older VR headsets are also confirmed to support SteamVR but are no longer available to purchase outside of third-party sellers.

• Oculus Rift
• Oculus Rift S
• HTC Vive
• HTC Vive Pro
• Samsung HMD Odyssey
• Samsung HMD Odyssey Plus

If the headset you're using isn't on one of these lists, there's still a good chance it works. But you should check with the manufacturer to make sure.

The biggest exception to this is the Sony PlayStation VR2 headset. The PS VR2 only works with the PS5, and can only connect to a PC using unofficial third-party tools. The same goes for the original PS VR, which was made for the PlayStation 4.

How to use VR on Steam

Before you can start playing Steam's VR games on your VR headset, you'll need to download and set up the SteamVR app. It's free, although you'll still need to pay for the VR games you add to it. The app is only available on a PC, so even if you have a standalone headset like the Quest 3, you'll still need to connect the headset to your computer to play SteamVR games.

Check out the SteamVR page for full details on PC spec requirements. And if you need a new computer to power your VR headset, be sure to read our guides to the best gaming PCs and best gaming laptops.

Once you have the necessary hardware, you can follow these steps to get Steam running on your VR headset:

1. Launch Steam on your PC, head to the SteamVR store page, and click Add to Library.
2. Install the app and launch it, then connect your VR headset to your PC.
3. If you're using a standalone headset you'll likely be able to connect it to your PC using the headset's charging cable. Some headsets also offer a wireless option, and others, like the HTC Vive Pro 2, use an adapter called a "link box."
4. Follow the prompts inside of SteamVR. These will differ slightly between headset models but usually involve fiddling with the settings inside your headset's menus.
5. If you're using a Windows Mixed Reality headset — this includes the HP Reverb and Samsung HMD Odyssey — you'll also need to install and set up the free Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR app.

Some headsets will require extra steps as well — for example, Meta Quests need to be paired with a smartphone app — so check the manual for more details.