Current Nanome runs on Meta Quest 3 and 3S, Samsung Galaxy XR, Apple Vision Pro (as a TestFlight beta), a Windows PC driving a Quest over Meta Link, and any modern browser at app.nanome.ai with no headset at all, according to Nanome's hardware page. Pico Neo 3 and 4, HTC Vive Focus 3 and SteamVR headsets such as Valve Index run Nanome Classic (v1.24) instead, as do Quest 2 and Quest Pro, and the original Quest 1 runs neither. For most classrooms, Quest 3S at its base storage tier is the practical buy, with a PC kept for the largest structures.
Nanome and Nanome Classic, device by device
Nanome comes in 2 generations. The current release, Nanome v2 (2.6.1, released August 14, 2026), is a ground-up rebuild, and Nanome Classic (1.24.6.1) stays available for older headsets. Each has its own device list, so a headset that suits one may not run the other.
| Device (as of October 2026) | Nanome (v2.6.1) | Nanome Classic (v1.24) |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Quest 1 | Not supported | Not supported |
| Meta Quest 2 | Not supported | Supported |
| Meta Quest 3 | Supported | Supported |
| Meta Quest 3S | Supported | Not listed |
| Meta Quest Pro | Not supported | Supported |
| Quest on a Windows PC over Meta Link or Air Link | Supported | Supported |
| SteamVR headsets (Valve Index, HTC Vive Pro) | Not supported | Supported |
| Samsung Galaxy XR (Android XR) | Supported | Not supported |
| Pico Neo 3 and Neo 4 | Not supported | Supported |
| HTC Vive Focus 3 and Vive XR Elite | Not supported | Supported |
| Apple Vision Pro | Early access (TestFlight beta) | Not supported |
| HoloLens and AR glasses | Not supported | Not supported |
| Windows PC, 2D desktop mode | Supported | Supported |
| Browser at app.nanome.ai | Supported | Not supported |
The current column follows Choosing Hardware and the Classic column follows Choosing Hardware (Nanome Classic) and the Classic downloads on nanome.ai/versions. "Not listed" means the Classic page names Quest 3 but never the 3S. Android XR arrived in v2.4, and Nanome's note on the change says earlier versions aren't compatible.
Quest 2 and Quest Pro picked up passthrough mixed reality in Nanome v1.24, and both stay on that Classic line. On Windows, the PC spec sheet lists Windows 10, and the Classic installer on the versions page is labelled Windows 10+.
What to buy for a classroom
Quest 3S is the practical classroom headset. Nanome's comfort table puts Quest 3 and 3S in one column, Comfortable at 7,500 shown atoms and Moderate at 10,000, so the cheaper headset trades some display sharpness (1,832 × 1,920 pixels per eye against 2,064 × 2,208) and keeps the same structure budget. The same page lists US prices as of September 2026: Quest 3S from $349.99 and Quest 3 at $599.99.
Storage tier makes little difference. Nanome v2 keeps workspaces in the cloud and syncs them automatically, per the v2.0 release notes, so a larger tier buys room for other apps.
A standalone headset needs no PC per seat, which is what makes a class set workable. The setup guide notes that a Link cable only matters for Windows PCVR, and suggests an Elite Strap, a wipe-clean facial interface and a carrying case for shared headsets.
Since Meta ended its business editions in February 2026, schools buy the standard headsets from Meta, Best Buy or Amazon and enroll them in Meta's free device management. VR Expert, Nanome's hardware partner, also sells Quest 3 and Galaxy XR kits preconfigured for Nanome.
Galaxy XR is the step up, listed at $1,799. It carries the Quest 3's GPU clocked 15% higher and 16 GB of memory against 8, and on Nanome's comfort table it still runs at Moderate with 15,000 atoms shown, where a Quest 3 is past its budget. It installs as an APK through a device manager or by sideloading, since Nanome isn't on Google Play.
Seats attach to accounts. The setup guide gives each student a personal Nanome login on a shared headset too, and a headset session needs a Collab or Full seat. Seat counts and headset prices are covered in how much Nanome costs, and enrolling a class set is walked through in the classroom Quest setup post.
A class can also start before any headset arrives. The web app runs in a browser, and the Free Web Seat covers 3 workspaces and view-only collaboration with headset users. Once headsets are in hand, how to visualize proteins in VR walks through loading a first structure.
When a PC helps
A Windows PC running Nanome over Meta Link or Air Link raises the ceiling a long way. On Nanome's comfort table, PCVR stays Comfortable through 100,000 shown atoms, while a Quest 3 or 3S drops to Moderate at 10,000 and runs past its budget at 15,000.
So the PC pays off once a scene needs more than about 10,000 atoms on screen, such as a large complex with its surface on. The budget counts shown atoms only, so a big structure can still load on a standalone headset with most of it hidden. The session guide suggests running heavy views on a PC or in the browser and the walkthrough in a standalone headset.
Nanome's PC spec sheet recommends an Intel i7, an RTX 3060 and 32 GB of RAM on Windows 10, with a GTX 1070 and 8 GB as the minimum. The same sheet notes that Nanome on a PC can also run in a 2D mode.
Current Nanome documents one PCVR route, a Quest over Meta Link. Its Windows version isn't sold through a store and comes as a direct download from nanome.ai/versions, and the Nanome listing on Steam is Nanome Classic, which still supports Valve Index and HTC Vive Pro. Community tools such as Revive, which run Meta PC titles on Vive or Index headsets, sit outside the Meta Link route Nanome documents.
Apple Vision Pro
Nanome on Apple Vision Pro is a TestFlight beta in early development, per the setup guide. Joining takes 2 steps: TestFlight comes from the App Store on the headset, and the Nanome TestFlight link on the setup page then offers Accept and Install.
TestFlight builds expire 90 days after upload, and newer builds arrive as updates inside the TestFlight app. A headset that sits unused for a while may need that update before a session.
The first-generation Vision Pro (M2) stays Comfortable through 20,000 shown atoms, and Nanome projects the 2025 M5 model Comfortable through 30,000 on its hardware page, which lists the headset from $3,699. It takes the same Collab or Full seat as any other headset.
The smoothest route runs through the browser. The session guide recommends building workspaces in the web app, since everything built there opens anywhere else, and MARA can load a structure from a plain-English request and send it to the headset with Open in XR.
Vision Pro headsets enroll through Apple Business Manager with an Apple device manager such as Jamf or Mosyle. Because the app is still a beta, the setup guide suggests planning a fleet rollout with the Nanome team. Vision Pro support arrived with the v2 rebuild, and Nanome's 2024 roadmap post explains why Nanome 1.x couldn't simply be ported.
One license on every device
A Nanome seat follows the person. The same account signs in on a Quest, over PCVR and in the browser, and every XR platform on the hardware page takes a Collab or Full seat. The pricing page sells the Full seat as web plus XR.
On Quest, Nanome installs as its own app, listed as Nanome v2 in the Meta Horizon Store with a purple icon (the blue icon is Classic). It doesn't run inside Meta's Horizon Worlds, so news about Horizon Worlds doesn't change how it runs. The Meta change that matters for schools is device management: Horizon managed services became free on February 20, 2026, and Meta supports it on Quest 3 and 3S through January 4, 2030, per the setup guide.
Where a headset fits next to desktop software is its own question, taken up in VR tools for molecular modeling.
FAQ
Does Nanome work on Meta Quest 3S?
Yes. Current Nanome supports Quest 3 and 3S, and Nanome's comfort table rates the two the same: Comfortable at 7,500 shown atoms and Moderate at 10,000. The 3S has a lower-resolution display, and its base storage is enough because workspaces live in the cloud.
Is there a SteamVR build of Nanome?
Not for the current release. Its documented PCVR route is Windows over Meta Link or Air Link with a Quest headset. The Steam listing is Nanome Classic, which supports SteamVR headsets such as Valve Index and HTC Vive Pro.
Will Pico headsets run the current Nanome?
No. Pico Neo 3 and Neo 4 run Nanome Classic, installed as an APK through a device manager or by sideloading. The current release's hardware page lists Meta Quest 3 and 3S, Samsung Galaxy XR, Apple Vision Pro and PCVR, and Pico isn't on it.
Does Nanome run on Apple Vision Pro?
Yes, as a TestFlight beta in early development, joined from the link on Nanome's setup guide. It takes a Collab or Full seat like any other headset, and each TestFlight build expires 90 days after upload, so a headset needs the newer build from the TestFlight app before then.
Does Nanome run on HoloLens?
No. HoloLens and other AR glasses don't appear on either of Nanome's hardware pages. For mixed reality, Quest 3 and 3S, Galaxy XR and Vision Pro all show the room in full-color passthrough while Nanome runs.
What about the Quest 2 headsets a school already owns?
They run Nanome Classic (v1.24), as does Quest Pro, and the Classic downloads stay on nanome.ai/versions. Current Nanome targets Quest 3 and 3S, so new Quest purchases for the current release come from that pair.