Is the future of live, televised basketball in virtual reality? Meta’s bettin’ on it.
On Monday, January 23, Facebook’s parent company announced it would launch 52 free live NBA games in virtual reality via Meta Quest’s XTADIUM and Meta Horizon Worlds.1
Most of the games will air in 2D (like you see them on TV), but five of these NBA games are in 180-degree VR with celebrity broadcasters. The NBA games began airing on Meta the night of the announcement. The first 180-degree VR game (Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks) streams on February 27 at 4:30 p.m. PST (see schedule).

Unidentified stock photography model wearing a non-Meta VR headset screams, perhaps because his team lost.
(Basketball photo: Markus Spiske on Unsplash. VR guy photo: Eugene Capon.)
According to Meta, fans will also be able to watch select WNBA, NBA G-League, and NBA 2K League games in VR, plus the following:
- 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 (coming soon; subscription required)
Note: The Meta Quest 2 or Meta Quest Pro headset is required for all of the above.
Meta Quest 2022-2023 NBA schedule
- January 18 | Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 7:30 p.m. PST
- January 19 | Toronto Raptors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | 5:00 p.m. PST
- January 20 | Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 4:30 p.m. PST
- January 21 | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 4:30 p.m. PST
- January 22 | Memphis Grizzlies vs. Phoenix Suns | 5:00 p.m. PST
- January 23 | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons | 4:00 p.m. PST
- January 24 | Denver Nuggets vs. New Orleans Pelicans | 5:00 p.m. PST
- January 25 | Denver Nuggets vs. Milwaukee Bucks | 5:00 p.m. PST
- January 27 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | 5:00 p.m. PST
- January 29 | LA Clippers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 4:00 p.m. PST
- January 31 | Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 4:00 p.m. PST
- February 1 | Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | 5:00 p.m. PST
- February 2 | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers | 4:00 p.m. PST
- February 4 | LA Clippers vs. New York Knicks | 4:00 p.m. PST
- February 7 | Phoenix Suns vs. Brooklyn Nets | 4:30 p.m. PST
- February 8 | Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers | 7:00 p.m. PST
- February 9 | Phoenix Suns vs. Atlanta Hawks | 4:30 p.m. PST
- February 13 | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks | 5:30 p.m. PST
- February 14 | Orlando Magic vs. Toronto RaPSTors | 4:30 p.m. PST
- February 15 | New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks | 4:30 p.m. PST
- February 16 | Washington Wizards vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | 5:00 p.m. PST
- February 23 | Boston Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers | 4:00 p.m. PST
- February 24 | Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors | 7:00 p.m. PST
- February 26 | Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks | 12:00 p.m. PST
- February 27 | Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks | 4:30 p.m. PST†
- February 28 | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets | 4:30 p.m. PST
- March 1 | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat | 4:30 p.m. PST
- March 2 | Toronto RaPSTors vs. Washington Wizards | 4:00 p.m. PST
- March 5 | Charlotte Hornets vs. Brooklyn Nets | 3:00 p.m. PST
- March 6 | Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 4:00 p.m. PST†
- March 7 | Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks | 5:30 p.m. PST
- March 8 | Portland Trail Blazers vs. Boston Celtics | 4:30 p.m. PST
- March 11 | Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks | 4:30 p.m. PST
- March 14 | Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans | 5:00 p.m. PST†
- March 15 | Memphis Grizzlies vs. Miami Heat | 4:30 p.m. PST
- March 18 | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Indiana Pacers | 4:00 p.m. PST
- March 19 | Denver Nuggets vs. Brooklyn Nets | 12:30 p.m. PST
- March 21 | San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans | 5:00 p.m. PST
- March 22 | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls | 5:00 p.m. PST
- March 23 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets | 4:30 p.m. PST
- March 26 | Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 12:30 p.m. PST
- March 27 | Dallas Mavericks vs. Indiana Pacers | 4:00 p.m. PST
- March 28 | Orlando Magic vs. Memphis Grizzlies | 5:00 p.m. PST
- March 29 | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls | 5:00 p.m. PST
- March 31 | Utah Jazz vs. Boston Celtics | 4:30 p.m. PST
- April 1 | LA Clippers vs. New Orleans Pelicans | 5:30 p.m. PST
- April 2 | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks | 5:00 p.m. PST†
- April 4 | Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies | 5:00 p.m. PST
- April 5 | Memphis Grizzlies vs. New Orleans Pelicans | 5:00 p.m. PST
- April 7 | Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings | 7:00 p.m. PST
- April 8 | Portland Trail Blazers vs. LA Clippers | 1:00 p.m. PST†
- April 9 | Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks | 10:00 am PST
† Immersive, 180-degree game.
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Endnotes
- Oculus Blog, “Basketball Diaries: Our Partnership Extension with the NBA,” January 23, 2023. Accessed January 25, 2023.