Debugging C++ Code for Virtual Reality (Mac)

Debugging C++ code for virtual reality is notoriously puzzling on Mac. For example, you may find that even Meta Quest's own guide for Debugging Unity Apps for Oculus Quest In-Headset requires an Oculus Link cable to be connected to a PC. This is problematic as a developer who only has a Mac, and may not want to/does not have access to a Virtual Machine (ex. Paperspace).

Here’s a guide on how to debug Unity C++ code built for Oculus Quest 2 using Debug.Log() via the Android Logcat package, which will allow you to have access to a console that can print log statements and error messages as you build and run your program through your quest headset, hooked to your Mac computer.

You will need:

A Unity Development Environment with the Android SDK installed.
A Quest headset in developer mode with a cable to connect it to your Mac.

Installing and Using Logcat:

First, you’ll need to download the Android Logcat package. This can be done by going to Window > Package Manager in the Unity editor and downloading and installing the Android Logcat package from the Unity Registry.

Once you have the package installed, you can access the Android Logcat window in the Unity Editor via Window > Analysis > Android Logcat, or simply by pressing Alt+6 on Windows or Option+6 on macOS.
Make sure to have the Android module loaded and switch to the Android build target in the Build Settings window if the menu doesn’t exist.
You can now use Debug.Log() in your C++ code to output messages to the log.
To view the log messages, you can use the Android Logcat window in Unity or use ADB with the logcat parameter: $ adb logcat.

Voila! You can now see the output of the console live from your build on your headset.

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