Refract runs Meta Quest (Android OpenXR) games on a Windows or Linux PC, in a PC VR headset or in a window on the screen. Games run in one of three ways:
- Android Emulator (Windows): the most compatible option.
- Refract Native (Windows, recommended): runs the game's ARM64 code directly on the PC.
- Waydroid (Linux): a container that shares the PC's kernel and GPU.
Status: experimental. Not every game works yet.
Support Refract
I'm a student, and I build Refract in my spare time. If you'd like to see more Quest games running on PC, a coffee on Ko-fi helps a lot.
Not in a position to donate? Starring the repo, trying Refract with your games and reporting what breaks helps too.
Requirements
- Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), or Linux with Waydroid 1.6.3 or newer
- A graphics card from the last few years
- 12 GB of RAM or more
- About 10 GB of free disk space, plus room for your games
- Virtualization turned on in the BIOS/UEFI (Windows)
- For VR: Meta Horizon Link (Quest Link / Air Link) or SteamVR; Monado or WiVRn also work on Linux. Without a headset you can play in a window.
Getting started
Windows
- Download a build from Releases and unzip it, or double-click Refract Launcher.cmd in a source checkout.
- In Settings > Setup, click each button until everything is green.
- Click Connect Meta to see the Quest games you own, then download, install and play.
Linux
To build: CMake, Ninja, a C++20 compiler, the Android SDK and NDK, and a JDK.
./build_host.sh ANDROID_ABI=arm64-v8a android-runtime-apk/build_apk.sh && platform-sdk/build_apk.sh sudo scripts/waydroid.sh setup waydroid session start scripts/waydroid.sh install path/to/game.apk scripts/waydroid.sh play com.example.game # --headset for SteamVR/Monado/WiVRn
The launcher also runs on Linux. Details are in docs/linux_waydroid.md.
Not included
This repository contains no game APKs, Meta SDKs or Horizon OS files: bring the games you own. The Digitalis ARM64 translator (Apache-2.0) is included prebuilt in prebuilts/digitalis/.
Refract is meant for apps you own and open samples. Do not use it to bypass DRM, anti-cheat, platform security, store restrictions or license terms.
Credits and license
Refract started as a fork of AXRB by Feline Reintgen and has since grown well beyond it. See CREDITS.md.
Refract is licensed under the GNU GPL v3.0 or later (LICENSE), with one additional term (NOTICE): projects built on Refract must stay open source under GPL-3.0-or-later, and must credit Refract with a visible link to https://github.com/MIXIDtheSilly/Refract. Code still from AXRB is MIT-licensed; its notice is kept in NOTICE.