What you need to know
- Meta Quest users can now use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in VR.
- All three apps are available on the Meta Quest store and run in a mixed-reality environment so you can see what's happening around you.
- All Meta Quest headsets are supported, and you can use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse with all three apps.
The second week of December is turning out to be one of the biggest surprise weeks since the launch of the Meta Quest 3. First, we got Xbox Game Pass on Quest on December 13. One day later, Microsoft launched the basic Office suite for free on the Meta Quest store.
To get started, all you'll need is a Microsoft account and any of the four available Meta Quest headsets. Yes, that includes the original Oculus Quest, the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro, and, of course, the Meta Quest 3. Next, head over to the Meta Quest store and download the Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Word apps for free.
Each app is very small — roughly 1.3MB each — and you'll only need to log into your Microsoft account one time to be able to use all three apps. Microsoft has kept the apps super small because all three apps are running on the cloud. That keeps performance high on the Quest headset and means you can multitask between apps quickly by tapping the icons on the universal menu bar at the bottom of the Quest UI.
You can even run all three apps side-by-side at the same time on the Meta Quest by pressing and holding each app's icon on the universal home bar at the bottom, followed by dragging it to one of the three available window positions. Here's a short video I threw together showing off multitasking and using Word with a mouse and keyboard.
To use a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard with these (and other Quest apps), head to Settings on your Meta Quest, tap Devices from the list, and then follow the prompts to pair your Bluetooth keyboard and mouse with your headset. It's far easier to interface with apps like these using a mouse and keyboard, especially if you've got your spreadsheet game going.
Last October, Meta and Microsoft announced their partnership to bring Microsoft Office, Azure, and even Windows 11 to Meta Quest. Thirteen months later, we're seeing four of the promised apps finally go live on Meta Quest headsets, with plenty of additional productivity apps still planned to come to Meta's virtual reality and mixed reality headsets.
Whether you're playing massive RPGs like Asgard's Wrath 2 or getting work done in Microsoft Office, the Meta Quest 3 can do it all and then some.
