Quest 3 as a Standalone Web Development Machine

TLDR:

  • Tried using the Quest 3 as a web dev machine without streaming from a laptop.
  • Most VR browser apps fail due to lack of devtools and window limitations.
  • Best result: Running a full Linux desktop in UserLand with working Chrome devtools (and VS Code!)
  • Not a great experience for now, but promising for future standalone dev in VR.

Intro

I recently got a Quest 3 and wondered: could I use it as a lightweight dev machine without streaming from my laptop? My theory: with something like GitHub Codespaces (VS Code in a browser, running on a cloud server), I could write code, debug, and push changes all from within the headset. Could a full web development workflow work entirely in VR?

What I Tried

1. Fluid (Quest App)

Fluid is the go-to recommendation for opening multiple browser tabs in VR. It’s a native Quest app with a clean interface and decent multitasking support. But for web development, it fell short quickly:

  • No developer tools: There’s no way to open browser devtools, which is an instant dealbreaker for web development.
  • Keyboard limitations: Keyboard navigation is clunky, with common shortcuts (like focusing the address bar or switching tabs) either missing or unreliable.
  • Performance issues: Just a handful of browser tabs and a single YouTube video slowed the system enough to drop frames.

At the end of the day, trying to use an Android-based VR headset like a desktop computer is a bit of a stretch—and it shows.

2. Native Horizon OS + Android Browser Apps

I tried sideloading Android browser apps (Brave, Mises, Lemur) directly onto the Quest and running them natively via Horizon OS. Keyboard shortcuts worked well (Ctrl+L, Ctrl+T, Ctrl+Tab), and I even wrote this blog post from inside one of those browsers.

Blogging on the Quest 3

However, devtools can't be opened side-by-side with the page in these mobile browsers, so debugging is tedious. There's also a hard cap of 6 open windows total (3 docked, 3 floating), which limits multitasking.

3. Other VR Productivity Apps

Most "productivity" apps on the Quest platform are just streaming clients:

  • Meta Horizon Workrooms (Beta) – Requires connection to an external computer.
  • Virtual Desktop – Just a fancy desktop streaming app.
  • Immersed – Well-polished, but also relies on streaming from a real computer.

If your goal is to leave the laptop behind entirely, these don't help.

Best Result: Linux Chroot (UserLand)

Instead of relying on Android support for devtools, I ran a full Linux desktop environment in a chroot+vnc using UserLand. The steps:

#!/bin/sh
... leave other lines the same
# comment out this line
#/etc/X11/Xsession
# at the bottom of the file add
startxfce4 &
  • Install chromium browser with these (steps):
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xtradeb/apps -y
sudo apt update
sudo apt install chromium
  • Run chromium with chromium --no-sandbox.
  • Fix desktop resolution: edit ~/.vncrc to $geometry = "1920x1080", then chmod -w ~/.vncrc so UserLand does not overwrite it.
  • Install VS Code via apt, run with code --no-sandbox.
Chromium devtools and VS Code on the Quest 3 inside UserLand! Quest native browser window on the left accessing the http-server from the code space.

Notes:

  • Chrome windows/devtools are stuck inside the VM, not as independent VR windows, but you can run many of them inside the VM window.
  • Running a full desktop environment uses more RAM (estimate: 500MB+), plus whatever Chrome/VS Code consume.

So while it makes things possible, it does take away from the magic of a "VR desktop" where all windows can be freely placed.

Quick Comparison

Approach Devtools Support Keyboard Shortcuts Window Limitations Performance Notes
Fluid (Quest App) ❌ None 🚫 Poor Moderate 🚫 Drops frames No devtools, clunky navigation
Native Android Browsers (Horizon OS) ⚠️ Limited* ✅ Good 6 windows max 👍 Decent Devtools can't be opened side-by-side
Other VR Productivity Apps (Streaming) ✅ Full (remote) ✅ Good Host-dependent 👍 Great Requires external computer
Linux Chroot (UserLand) ✅ Full ✅ Good 1 VM window, 5 horizonOS windows ⚠️ Heavy RAM use Real devtools, VS Code, but inside VM only

Limitations & Verdict

As the table above shows, using the Quest 3 as a standalone device for web development is still challenging. The biggest blockers are:

  • Lack of usable devtools except within Linux chroot
  • Window and multitasking limitations
  • Keyboard navigation quirks
  • Performance/memory overhead

Still, the future looks bright. With hardware and software improvements, especially native apps for developers, this could become viable without resorting to a full-blown Linux environment.

Footnote

Yes, I know GitHub Codespaces technically is a remote computer, but it feels less “tethered” than streaming from your personal machine. You can spin one up from anywhere, pay by the hour, and it even comes with a decent free allowance (120 core-hours/month), which should be more than enough for light dev work in VR.

Benjamin Kaiser

Benjamin Kaiser

Software Engineer working on the SharePoint team at Microsoft. I'm passionate about open source, slurpees, and Jesus.
Gold Coast, Australia

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