Is the future of live, televised basketball in virtual reality? Meta’s bettin’ on it.
On Wednesday, October 23, Facebook’s parent company announced that 52 free live NBA games will stream in virtual reality via Meta Quest’s Xtadium and Meta Horizon Worlds. All NBA games in Xtadium will be available in 180-degree VR.
The games began streaming on Meta in Week 1 of the 2024–2025 NBA season.
Basketball content on Meta
Meta Quest brings an immersive NBA experience to fans during the 2024–2025 season with a lineup of 52 live games. But the excitement doesn’t stop there. The VR platform offers a suite of basketball-centric features to elevate your virtual courtside perspective:
- Host watch parties
- Buy licensed team apparel in the Meta Avatar Store (yay, expensive virch-merch!)
- Watch game highlights, recaps, and archival content
- Play interactive mini-games
- Watch NBA League Pass with a mixed-reality experience (requires an NBA League Pass subscription)
Beyond the NBA, Meta carries 20 WNBA games per season. It also hosts select NBA G League and NBA 2K League matchups.
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How to watch the NBA on Meta Quest
Watching NBA games in VR comes with a prerequisite—you’ll need a Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, or Meta Quest Pro headset. Sure, the NBA games are free to stream, but the required gear is a significant investment. List prices for the three headsets range from $299.99 to $999.99.
Once you have a headset, download the free Xtadium app from the Meta Quest Store. Load up the app and take your metaverse avatar to the game.
Pro tip: NBA League Pass subscribers can log in via the NBA Arena in Meta Horizon Worlds to enjoy additional games. However, local and national blackouts still apply in the metaverse.
Meta Quest 2024–2025 NBA schedule
| Game | Date | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
|
October |
||
| Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks | Oct. 25, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Chicago Bulls | Oct. 26, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Indiana Pacers at Orlando Magic | Oct. 28, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. |
|
November |
||
| Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets | Nov. 2, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Los Angeles Lakers at Detroit Pistons | Nov. 4, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs | Nov. 7, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz | Nov. 12, 2024 | 9:00 p.m. |
| Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers | Nov. 15, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Denver Nuggets at Memphis Grizzlies | Nov. 19, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Boston Celtics at Washington Wizards | Nov. 22, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Los Angeles Clippers at Philadelphia 76ers | Nov. 24, 2024 | 6:00 p.m. |
| Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves | Nov. 26, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Orlando Magic at Brooklyn Nets | Nov. 29, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. |
|
December |
||
| Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers | Dec. 1, 2024 | 6:00 p.m. |
| Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Hornets | Dec. 3, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Phoenix Suns at New Orleans Saints | Dec. 5, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors | Dec. 8, 2024 | 8:30 p.m. |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat | Dec. 20, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Miami Heat at Orlando Magic | Dec. 26, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns | Dec. 27, 2024 | 9:00 p.m. |
| Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls | Dec. 28, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics | Dec. 29, 2024 | 6:00 p.m. |
|
January |
||
| San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets | Jan. 3, 2025 | 9:00 p.m. |
| New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls | Jan. 4, 2025 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies | Jan. 6, 2025 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Golden State Warriors at Indiana Pacers | Jan. 10, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Cleveland Cavaliers at Minnesota Timberwolves | Jan. 18, 2025 | 9:00 p.m. |
| Philadelphia 76ers at Milwaukee Bucks | Jan. 19, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Portland Trail Blazers at Charlotte Hornets | Jan. 24, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Orlando Magic at Miami Heat | Jan. 27, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. |
|
February |
||
| Los Angeles Clippers at Toronto Raptors | Feb. 2, 2025 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Milwaukee Bucks at Oklahoma City Thunder | Feb. 3, 2025 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Indiana Pacers at Los Angeles Lakers | Feb. 8, 2025 | 4:00 p.m. |
| Minnesota Timberwolves at Cleveland Cavaliers | Feb. 10, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Phoenix Suns at Chicago Bulls | Feb. 22, 2025 | 5:00 p.m. |
| Denver Nuggets at Indiana Pacers | Feb. 24, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. |
|
March |
||
| Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder | Mar. 3, 2025 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs | Mar. 10, 2025 | 8:30 p.m. |
| Los Angeles Clippers at Atlanta Hawks | Mar. 14, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers | Mar. 16, 2025 | 6:00 p.m. |
| New York Knicks at Charlotte Hornets | Mar. 20, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Golden State Warriors at Atlanta Hawks | Mar. 22, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets | Mar. 23, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Dallas Mavericks at Brooklyn Nets | Mar. 24, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago Bulls | Mar. 27, 2025 | 8:00 p.m. |
| New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks | Mar. 28, 2025 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers | Mar. 29, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Los Angeles Clippers at Orlando Magic | Mar. 31, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. |
|
April |
||
| New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks | Apr. 5, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. |
| Indiana Pacers at Denver Nuggets | Apr. 6, 2025 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Los Angeles Clippers at Sacramento Kings | Apr. 11, 2025 | 10:00 p.m. |
| Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers | Apr. 13, 2025 | 3:30 p.m. |
*Geo-restrictions apply. Games not available in all regions, and viewers located near the physical event may be unable to view it based on localized restrictions. Xtadium is only available in the U.S.
†Schedule subject to change.
NBA in Meta Quest FAQ
How much does the NBA VR cost?
NBA VR games are free to watch, but you’ll need a Meta Quest headset to unlock access. The newer Meta Quest 3S is the cheapest headset—typically priced at $299.99. You can also watch more NBA games in VR with an NBA League Pass subscription ($16.99–$24.99/mo.).
Does Oculus have NBA 2K?
The core NBA 2K video game series isn’t available on Meta Quest, but Oculus Rift users can get the NBA 2KVR Experience game. Live NBA 2K League matches are also available to stream via Xtadium and NBA Arena in Meta Horizon Worlds.
Are NBA VR games free
Yes, select NBA games are free to watch in virtual reality. However, you’ll need a compatible Meta Quest headset to tune in.
