GamesVR games playbook
VR players are concentrated in a few stores, showcases and communities, and they trust video they can see. Outpost plans the store, showcase and community calendar for your game and logs every step.
01 · DISCOVERY
VR players discover games in a handful of places: the Meta Horizon Store on Quest headsets, SideQuest for Quest, PC VR and early-access titles, and Steam for PC VR. Showcases matter more than in flat gaming; the UploadVR Showcase runs twice a year in June and December, and applications are reviewed in October and April. Players also lean on VR subreddits, YouTube creators and Discord servers, because gameplay footage shows comfort and feel in a way screenshots cannot.
A player sees mixed-reality or gameplay footage from a showcase or creator, wishlists the game, checks reviews for comfort and length, and buys at launch or during a sale. Meta allows wishlisting between approval and release, and Steam wishlists trigger launch notifications, so the pre-launch period is about collecting wishlists and community members.
02 · CHANNELS
Ranked 5 (essential) to 1 (optional) by the research for this industry.
Most standalone VR players buy here. Meta advises submitting at least two weeks before your target launch, and players can wishlist once you are approved, so plan submission early.
The UploadVR Showcase is free to apply to, reviews applications in October and April, and needs unannounced news. A showcase slot concentrates attention from the whole VR press and community.
Steam reaches PC VR players, and Valve's Steam Frame standalone review sets minimums such as 72 fps at 1728x1728 for VR titles. A good badge changes how the game is presented.
VR is sold through footage. Small and mid creators who post gameplay, plus your own Discord server, carry word of mouth between showcase moments.
A catalog of Quest, PC VR, early access and sideloaded apps that is useful for demos, early access and building an early community.
BUSINESS MODEL · LIVE
The same channel can be a strong fit for a paid game and a poor one for a free one. Each line below is a rule or rating from Outpost's knowledge base, with its source; your own plan is built from your answers.
Steam Curator Connect sends up to 5 copies to each of up to 100 curators as licences, which is a lever for paid games; how it applies to free-to-play titles was not verified.
Premium games are Steam's core model: discounts of 20% or more can trigger wishlist emails, discounts run 10-95% (launch discount max 40%) with 30-day cooldowns, and seasonal sales are exempt from the between-discount cooldown.
Steam's four seasonal sales are discount events that all games are invited to join with a discount, so they reward priced games; free-to-play titles have no base price to discount and are generally excluded from curated deal spotlights.
Free-to-play and Early Access games may enter Steam Next Fest if unreleased, with a public demo, a public store page, and only one Next Fest per title ever.
Steam does not accept applications with advertising-based business models, so an ads-funded game must remove ads or monetize differently for its Steam build.
Steam does not accept blockchain games that issue or allow exchange of cryptocurrencies or NFTs.
Free-to-play games on Steam are generally not eligible for curated discount spotlights (Daily Deals, Midweek and Weekend deals), and in-game content discounts are run from the developer's own backend.
Steamworks' onboarding rules, microtransaction, free-to-play and Inventory docs set no specific odds-disclosure rule for paid random items, so Steam loot boxes are governed by regional law, rating boards and the Steam Inventory drop system.
In-game purchases in Steam games must go through Steam's microtransaction API and Steam Wallet, including both purchase paths in free-to-play games.
Steam enforces a 30-day waiting period between paying the Steam Direct fee and being able to release, and identity, tax and bank paperwork takes 15-30 days.
Steam games are limited to 100 achievements at first (more once the app reaches the Profile Features threshold), and achievements require Steamworks API integration (ISteamUserStats SetAchievement/StoreStats).
Steam build review requires the product to launch on every operating system listed on the store page and to implement every supported feature listed there; SteamPipe needs at least one launch option.
Steam Cloud only works after the developer sets a per-user byte quota and file count; Valve lists 100MB as the current maximum size for one ISteamRemoteStorage::FileWrite or FileWriteStreamWriteChunk call, and says these limits may change over time.
Read from Outpost's knowledge base on Nov 8, 2026; every line links its source.
03 · YOUR FIRST MONTH
A sample month. Your own plan is built from your audit, stage and goal, and paid options only ever appear as optional boosts.
Week 1 · days 1–7
Week 2 · days 8–14
Week 3 · days 15–21
Week 4 · days 22–30
DEADLINES · LIVE
Read from Outpost's knowledge base when this page loads. Expected dates follow the organiser's usual pattern and are labelled until the organiser confirms them.
04 · WHERE TO BE LISTED
Costs are as published by each destination when the research was reviewed; check before you pay for anything.
developers.meta.com
Main storefront for Quest players; submission requires passing Virtual Reality Checks.
Free to submit; store revenue share applies
sidequestvr.com
Catalog of Quest, PC VR, early access and sideloaded VR apps and games.
Developer account; check current terms
partner.steamgames.com
PC VR players and the new Steam Frame standalone audience; wishlists notify players at release.
$100 per app, recouped after $1,000 adjusted gross revenue
partner.steamgames.com
Free demo festival; February 2027 and June 2027 editions; a game may appear only once.
uploadvr.com
Twice-yearly VR showcase; free application with reviews in October and April.
Free to apply
partner.steamgames.com
Send review copies to up to 100 curators through Steam, including VR-focused curators.
igdb.com
Game database that feeds Twitch categories, so streamers can tag your VR game.
PC STORES · LIVE
For PC games already on Steam: what Epic offers and asks, from Epic's own pages where they could be read.
Epic Games Store developers keep 100% of the first US$1M net revenue per product per calendar year (resetting each 1 January from 2026, applied automatically), then 88/12.
Epic First Run is an opt-in 6-month Epic-exclusive window paying 100% net revenue; it is open only to new games not previously released on another third-party PC store, and afterwards the standard 100%-of-first-US$1M then 88/12 terms apply.
Epic lets games use their own or a third-party payment solution for in-app purchases, keeping up to 100% of that revenue.
Epic requires multiplayer games sold on other PC stores to support crossplay with them, and products added to its publishing tools after 9 March 2023 to enable Epic achievements if they offer achievements on other PC stores.
Listing on Epic Games Store is paid. $100 per product plus local taxes; not refundable but recouped after $1,000 on EGS. Developer keeps 100% of the first $1M net revenue per product per year (resets every Jan 1 from 2026), then 88/12, applied automatically to Epic-processed payments. A separate opt-in 'Epic First Run' gives 100% for a 6-month exclusive. Free alternative: itch.io or the Microsoft Store PC path (free)
05 · SEARCH DEMAND
Primary search
vr game marketing
10searches a month
DataForSEO Google Ads, US/en, Oct 2026
Comparing: show why you
Looking for a place: be listed there
Learning: answer with guides
Comparing: show why you
06 · AVOID
Meta advises submitting at least two weeks before your target launch, and you cannot set the release date until approval. Late submission eats the wishlist window.
VR players want to see how it feels to play. Cinematic trailers without real gameplay or mixed-reality footage undersell the game.
The UploadVR Showcase reviews applications only in October and April and wants unannounced news. Plan reveals around those windows.
Comfort settings, locomotion options and play space needs are purchase factors in VR. Leaving them out drives refunds and bad reviews.
07 · WHAT OUTPOST DOES
Builds a dated calendar of showcase windows, Steam Next Fest and holiday timing for your game
Rewrites your Steam page copy with the comfort, play space and footage details VR players look for
Publishes genre articles aimed at what VR players search for
Drafts YouTube creator outreach and community posts for you to send, within each community's rules
Tracks clicks and the wishlists you share after each action, and logs every step with a receipt; Steam page copy and Quest store work are prepared for you to submit
Every action Outpost takes gets a receipt: the live URL, a timestamp and what it drove, or “nothing yet”.See how receipts work
08 · QUESTIONS
At least two weeks before your target launch, per Meta's guidance, and earlier if you want a longer wishlist period. Players can wishlist between approval and release.
Apply through UploadVR's free application. Applications are reviewed in October and April for the December and June shows, and selected entries need news that has not been announced before.
If PC VR players might run your game locally on Steam Frame, yes. Valve reviews games for standalone compatibility; the result does not block availability but affects how the game is presented.
It can be useful for demos, early access and community building, especially before a store launch. Treat it as a complement, not a replacement.
Outpost prepares the checklist, store copy and timing, but submission through the Meta developer dashboard is done by you. Outpost's v1 games support covers web, PC and Mac directly.
No. Outpost plans campaigns at $0 extra spend; sending keys to well-matched creators is free. Paid creator platforms are optional.
Often yes, as a second store once your Steam page is working, if your game meets Epic's rules: Epic Games Store developers keep 100% of the first US$1M net revenue per product per calendar year (resetting each 1 January from 2026, applied automatically), then 88/12. Epic First Run is an opt-in 6-month Epic-exclusive window paying 100% net revenue; it is open only to new games not previously released on another third-party PC store, and afterwards the standard 100%-of-first-US$1M then 88/12 terms apply. Epic lets games use their own or a third-party payment solution for in-app purchases, keeping up to 100% of that revenue. Epic requires multiplayer games sold on other PC stores to support crossplay with them, and products added to its publishing tools after 9 March 2023 to enable Epic achievements if they offer achievements on other PC stores. Listing on Epic Games Store is paid. $100 per product plus local taxes; not refundable but recouped after $1,000 on EGS. Developer keeps 100% of the first $1M net revenue per product per year (resets every Jan 1 from 2026), then 88/12, applied automatically to Epic-processed payments. A separate opt-in 'Epic First Run' gives 100% for a 6-month exclusive. Free alternative: itch.io or the Microsoft Store PC path (free) Epic First Run is irreversible for its six months, so Outpost asks you to confirm it before planning it.
10 · EVIDENCE
Every fact on this page comes from one of these sources.
Submit at least two weeks before target launch; release date set after approval; wishlists between approval and release; VRC requirements
Twice-yearly showcase in June and December; free application; reviews in October and April; requires unannounced news
VR titles must run at minimum 72 fps at 1728x1728; results affect presentation, not availability; badge types
Catalog of VR apps and games for Quest, PC VR, early access and sideloaded apps
Next Fest dates and once-per-game rule; dates listed on the page: Next Fest Oct 19-26, 2026; Steam Scream V Fest Oct 26 - Nov 2, 2026; Auto-Battler RPG Fest Nov 16-23, 2026; Winter Sale Dec 17, 2026 - Jan 4, 2027; Desktop Companion Fest Jan 14-18, 2027; Shop Keeper Fest Jan 25 - Feb 1, 2027; Couch Co-Op Fest Feb 8-15, 2027; Next Fest Feb 22 - Mar 1, 2027; Real-Time Strategy Fest May 10-17, 2027; Next Fest Jun 14-21, 2027; Summer Sale Jun 24 - Jul 8, 2027 (checked Oct 20, 2026)
Last reviewed . Search volume: DataForSEO Google Ads, US/en, Oct 2026.
FREE WEBSITE AUDIT
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