QUEST 3 ON STEROIDS: Does Quest Games Optimizer work? (Side-by-side Comparisons)

Can you really improve the performance of Quest 3 or Quest 2 with Quest Games Optimizer (aka QGO)?  For some games, yes.

Does Quest Games Optimizer work?

Quest Games Optimizer has several functions but its key selling point is making your Quest games look more detailed.  But does it really work?  It depends on the game.  QGO will find all your Quest games, including App Store and Sidequest games and you’ll see a sign beside each game: HD+, HD, Rocket, Battery, or no sign.

• HD+: you’ll see a noticeable improvement.  It does this by increasing the resolution of 3D models and their textures.  The game will look sharper and more detailed.
• HD: you’ll see a slight improvement.  I’m not exactly sure what the difference is.
• Rocket: higher framerate (120hz instead of 72hz)
• Battery: you’ll get improved battery performance with that game.  QGO does this by turning down the resolution and framerate for games that don’t need the full power of the Quest.
• No sign: no change to the game.

Note that a game can have multiple profiles.  For example, with Thrill of the Fight, you can choose Battery, Rocket, or HD+.

There is a list of supported games but I wish the developer would post a list of games that show the kind of profiles you’ll get with each game but I haven’t seen such a list yet.

Quest Games Optimizer sample comparisons

Here are several side by side comparisons showing the effect of QGO.  You can see there is a range of improvement from very noticeable to almost no difference.

Example 1: Thrill of the Fight.  With this game, the HD+ profile clearly provides more detail than without QGO.

Example 2: Kizuna AI Touch the Beat.  Kizuna AI is another game where the HD+ profile has noticeably more detail as seen in the jaggies of the text.

Example 3: Anne Frank VR.  In this game, you can see the HD+ profile has more detail (for example, the spine on the books has a visible letter “L” on the HD+, which is not visible on the regular version), but without zooming in, I think the detail is not really very noticeable.

Example 4: Netflix.  The HD profile for Netflix supposedly increases the resolution by 237%.    The remote control shows significant improvement and the difference is immediately noticeable in the Quest.  The photo here doesn’t really capture the stark difference between the normal profile and the HD profile.  On the other hand, with the actual movie, there’s almost no difference.

What else can Quest Games Optimizer do?

• QGO can also enable 3D recording without having to connect your Quest to your PC and change video capture resolution, frame rates, and aspect ratio.
• Let you group your games into folders, instead of just sorting them all alphabetically or by recent use.
• Enable or disable guardian virtual limits.
• Customize rendering resolution and framerates.  Note: maxing out the settings may result in lag.

Does Quest Games Optimizer have any effect on PCVR games?

No, it only works for Quest games.

How to install Quest Games Optimizer

The easiest way to install QGO is with Sidequest Advanced Installer.  Sidequest is a utility to browse and install Quest games on the App Lab and even games that haven’t been approved for App Lab yet.  It’s very useful and if you don’t have it, I strongly recommend installing it.

1. Install Sidequest Advanced Installer.
2. Purchase and download the APK from Anagan79 here.
3. Run Sidequest and connect your Quest.
4. On the top menu bar, click on Install APK (box with down arrow).  Choose the APK file.
5. After the APK is installed, DO NOT DISCONNECT YET.  Instead, click on Enable Wireless Mode (the icon in the top bar of Sidequest that looks like a WiFi symbol).   Once wireless mode is activated, you should see a down arrow on the upper left corner and you can disconnect the USB cable.
6. On your Quest, launch QGO.  In the App Library list, click on the dropdown box beside the search bar (it says “All”) and choose Unknown Sources, then click on Quest Games Optimizer.
7. Accept the permissions requests (there are several).

How to use Quest Games Optimizer

From your Apps, click on the dropdown box beside the search bar (it says “All”) and choose Unknown Sources.  Click on Quest Games Optimizer.  Once launched, Quest Games Optimizer acts like a launcher for your other apps.

As mentioned, each game can have multiple profiles.  By default, QGO chooses HD+, HD, Rocket, or Battery, in that order.  If you want to choose a different profile, click on the 3 dots then choose any of the profiles, or none if you don’t want one.  Then click the app to launch it.

CONCLUSION

Quest Games Optimizer does make some games and apps look more detailed.  It’s not going to make games super detailed but for games that are supported in HD+ mode, it is a noticeable improvement.  I also like QGO’s ability to enable 3D recording without having to connect my Quest to my PC.