Breaking: React Native Now Officially Supports Meta Quest

At React Conf 2025, Meta announced official React Native support for its Quest virtual reality headsets. This marks a major expansion of the cross-platform framework beyond mobile, desktop, and web into spatial computing.

“With this release, developers can build VR apps using the same React Native patterns they already know,” said a Meta spokesperson during the conference keynote. “It’s another step toward our vision of a platform-agnostic development model.”

The announcement fulfills a promise outlined in the 2021 Many Platform Vision blog post, which described a future where React Native adapts to new form factors without fragmenting the ecosystem. Meta Quest devices run Horizon OS, an Android-based operating system, meaning existing Android tooling and workflows translate directly.

Getting Started: Expo Go and Development Builds

Developers can run React Native apps on Quest today using Expo Go, available on the Meta Horizon Store. The workflow mirrors Android: install Expo Go, create a standard Expo project, start the dev server, and connect via QR code scanning on the headset.

“For early prototyping, Expo Go works out of the box,” explained a React Native engineer in a conference workshop. “Live reload reflects changes immediately, just like on mobile.”

For production apps, development builds allow access to native features. The team highlighted that platform-specific APIs—such as hand tracking, room mesh, and spatial anchors—are accessible through the existing React Native module system.

Background: The Many Platform Vision

React Native originally launched in 2015 for iOS and Android. Over the years, it expanded to Apple TV, Windows, macOS, and the web via react-strict-dom. The 2021 Many Platform Vision post laid out a plan to support new devices and form factors without creating separate codebases.

“The goal has always been to let developers reuse knowledge and code across platforms,” the post stated. “Quest is the natural next step.” Meta now sees VR as a key growth area, and integrating React Native reduces the learning curve for mobile developers entering the spatial computing space.

What This Means: Lowering Barriers for VR Development

By leveraging Android compatibility, React Native on Quest eliminates the need for a new runtime or development model. Developers familiar with React Native can start building immersive VR applications immediately, using the same build systems, debugging tools, and state management patterns.

The move is expected to accelerate VR app creation, especially for social experiences, productivity tools, and gaming. “The VR industry needs more developers, and React Native is one of the largest mobile development communities,” noted a tech analyst attending the conference. “This could be a catalyst.”

Meta also announced a dedicated documentation section for Quest-specific UI and UX considerations, including gaze interaction, depth perception, and stereoscopic rendering. The company plans to release sample projects and guides in the coming weeks.

Documentation and Next Steps

Interested developers can visit the official React Native for Meta Quest page to view setup instructions, API references, and design guidelines. The first developer preview is available today, with a stable release slated for later this year.

“This is just the beginning,” the Meta spokesperson concluded. “We’re excited to see what the community builds.”