What is the Quest Games Optimizer and is it safe to use?
Quest Games Optimizer is becoming more and more popular. What can it do and are there any disadvantages to using it?
The first version of Quest Games Optimizer was released in early 2022. Since then, it has become a popular tool with more than 50,000 users.
This summer, Quest Games Optimizer reached a milestone: Version 10 was released, bringing with it a new design and many other improvements. This alone justifies MIXED taking a closer look at the tool.
In this article, we will answer the most important questions about Quest Games Optimizer (hereafter referred to as "QGO"). Preparing this article was more time-consuming than expected, as the program raises some questions that need to be addressed.
A review of Quest Games Optimizer will follow soon as a separate article.
Content
What is the Quest Games Optimizer?
QGO's main function is to automatically configure your games and apps so that they take full advantage of your Quest's performance, making them look better or run smoother in many cases.
These and other features are available through a separate UI directly in VR and do not require any external hardware. QGO is installed like any other APK by sideloading, either with or without a computer.
QGO comes with its app launcher that allows you to select and customize performance profiles for almost any Quest app. These profiles change the following settings for each app individually.
- Render resolution
- Refresh rate
- CPU level
- GPU level
- Fixed Foveated Rendering (FFR)
QGO offers four types of profiles for supported games and apps:
- Performance: Frame rate is increased for a smoother experience while maintaining visual quality (resolution, FFR). In some cases, only the CPU or GPU level is increased to eliminate stuttering that the game has by default.
- HD: Higher visual quality at the same or slightly better refresh rate.
- HD+: Even higher visual quality at the same or lower refresh rate (e.g. 72 instead of 90 Hz).
- Battery saving: Settings are lowered to conserve battery power.
Profiles are currently available for 800 games and apps (as of August 28, 2024), which have been tested for stability by the QGO team.
You can also customize existing profiles or create your own. QGO's intuitive UI makes this easy.
A look at the profile and settings for Superhot VR. | Screenshots: MIXED
Are there other ways to get the same results?
Yes, you can enter the appropriate ADB commands yourself to get the same results. SideQuest also lets you customize settings but to a lesser extent than QGO.
What makes QGO unique is its ease of use: the software comes with a well-designed interface that makes it easy to manage profiles, as well as an extensive database of tested profiles.
Please note that you must have a Meta developer account and have developer mode enabled on your Quest to be able to sideload content like QGO, use Sidequest, or enter ADB commands.
Which headsets does the Quest Games Optimizer support?
QGO supports all Quest headsets, with the most profiles available for Quest 3, 2 and Pro.
Meta Quest 3 and upcoming Quest headsets with the same powerful chipset currently benefit the most from QGO.
Where does Quest Games Optimizer get its performance from?
For various reasons, many games and apps use only a portion of the Quest chipset's power.
QGO taps into this unused reserve by increasing the above settings, with sometimes impressive results, especially on Meta Quest 3.
Why aren’t developers using the full power of Quest for their apps?
To answer this question, MIXED contacted Marc Zimmermann, the developer of the meditation app Realms of Flow, which is already pushing Meta Quest to its performance limits.
Here is his full response (translated from German).
""Currently, there is still a tendency to use Quest 2 as a performance target. Until about a year ago, as far as I know, developers could only upload one common build for all Quest devices.
Now you can define a separate build for Quest 3, but creating different builds with different textures and custom effects is a lot more work, also because in some cases a separate Unreal or Unity project has to be created. Managing and updating two projects makes development more complex and slower.
In addition, there are requirements for battery life and performance stability (stable FPS and avoidance of overheating). As a result, frame rates and resolutions are often set lower than theoretically possible.
The whole thing is formulated here in the so-called VRCs (checks that Meta employees perform before an app is allowed into the store) under "Performance Requirements".
The Quest Game Optimizer can then be used to push the limits of the hardware, with the disadvantage that the battery will run out sooner and the device may automatically shut down in between. Meta wants to avoid this for the sake of usability. Even if the tool does not violate the terms, it does go against the VRCs that developers have to follow.
As far as I know, there are no limits on GPU/CPU settings or resolution as long as the above are adhered to. For Realms of Flow, for example, I use 250% of the native resolution by default to keep everything as sharp as possible."
Are there any disadvantages to using the Quest Games Optimizer?
Some profiles may put more strain on the battery, reducing battery life, or they may result in increased heat generation. However, during our testing, there were no issues with overheating or system stability, even after hours of use.
In addition to these technical aspects, there is also the issue of privacy: If you want to use the full functionality of QGO, you need to give it extensive permissions. More on this below.
Please note that games and apps will benefit from the Quest Games Optimizer to varying degrees, and that some titles that already take full advantage of Meta Quest will not benefit much visually.
It should also be noted that Meta could theoretically stop the Quest Games Optimizer from working with a firmware update, or integrate new features such as Seamless Multitasking into the OS that use the existing performance reserves of the Quest headsets, meaning that QGO users would either have limited use of these features or would have to use less demanding profiles for their VR games and apps.
Are there any security concerns when using Quest Games Optimizer?
If you want to use QGO to its full potential, you will need to give it extensive permissions.
The Android Accessibility Permission (AAP) is by no means the only permission, but it is the most pervasive. With this permission, software could theoretically record the user's screen content and interactions.
In QGO, this option is disabled by default. So you have the choice to use the tool with or without AAP.
According to the developer, Quest Game Optimizer needs AAP primarily to detect when a VR app from Quest's app library is launched or closed, so that profiles can be automatically enabled and disabled. Without AAP, the profile will remain active even after an app is closed, which can negatively impact the performance of the Home environment and subsequently launched games and apps. This problem can be avoided by launching apps only through QGO's app launcher.
The Auto Detect feature, which requires AAP, is switched off by default. | Image: MIXED
QGO also requires an Internet connection to authenticate the account, save personal profiles, and deliver new profiles and program versions.
According to the official FAQ, QGO stores the following data:
- Your email address to create your QGO account and check for purchase
- Your Meta Quest Model and system version to give you the correct optimized profiles
- (Cloud) The app stores your personal optimization profiles
- (Cloud) The app stores your personal game categories/folder organization
- (Local) The app stores the time you played games (Premium Extension only) on your device
Each time the headset is restarted, it must also be authorized to re-enable the Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This is required to enable profiles.
It is unlikely that the developer will use the AAP and other rights for bad purposes, but it cannot be completely ruled out.
I asked the VR enthusiast, hacker, and programmer Ellie (aka Basti564) for an independent review. Ellie reverse engineered the APK and came to the following conclusion:
"The accessibility service is only used to detect app changes without accessing sensitive data. Theoretically, this could be used to generate usage statistics if this data is sent to the developer. However, I have found no evidence of this.
Furthermore, the ADB permissions are only used to change settings such as Guardian, resolution, GPU/CPU level, etc. as well as for activating the OVR Metrics overlay, restarting, stopping apps and screen recording settings. Abuse of these rights seems unlikely.
Overall, Quest Games Optimizer seems safe as long as you trust the developer. However, users should be aware that this can change with an app update."
MIXED had a long and detailed discussion with the developer Anagan79 for this article. The developer answered all questions and made an open and trusting impression.
What other features does the Quest Games Optimizer offer?
The additional features of QGO include
- A standalone app launcher with more customization options than Meta's app library. You can create your own app folders, add apps to favorites, and customize the appearance of the launcher.
- A tool that allows you to adjust more video capture settings (parameters such as resolution, format, bit rate, frame rate, stereoscopic recording) than Meta currently allows in Horizon OS. Black bars can be displayed, so you can see what will be in the video while recording. Stereoscopic capture is also possible.
- The option to turn off the Boundary system.
- The option to turn off the proximity sensor.
- The ability to set an alarm.
- The ability to artificially reduce the field of view to improve performance in VR apps.
- Access to Meta's OVR Metrics Tool to measure the performance of Quest apps in real time.
- Access to the Android file manager and Android settings.
The separately sold Premium Extension for QGO unlocks the following features:
- You can have QGO track how much time you've spent in an individual Quest app.
- With the exception of the resolution, you can change and test all settings of personal profiles without having to leave the app.
- You can create up to four profiles per app.
- QGO starts automatically when you close an app.
- Access to an ADB terminal for entering ADB commands.
How much does the Quest Games Optimizer cost?
The Quest Games Optimizer is currently sold for 12 US dollars on Itch.io.
The premium extension with additional features costs 3 US dollars.
Are there any restrictions on use?
When you purchase Quest Games Optimizer, you purchase a license for yourself that is tied to an email address. The license is not transferable, and anyone using the same account on too many devices risks having their account suspended.
Please note that QGO can only be used by the Admin account and cannot be transferred to secondary Meta accounts on the same headset. According to the developer, this cannot be changed.
Who is the developer?
Anagan79 is a French web developer and VR journalist for the French gaming site GamerGen. He did not give his real name when asked.
More information about the Quest Games Optimizer
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