diff --git a/gnome/breezydesktop@xronlinux.com/extension.js b/gnome/breezydesktop@xronlinux.com/extension.js
index 5a1f9ab..a5876d6 100644
--- a/gnome/breezydesktop@xronlinux.com/extension.js
+++ b/gnome/breezydesktop@xronlinux.com/extension.js
@@ -71,6 +71,14 @@ export default class BreezyDesktopExtension extends Extension {
             };
         }
 
+        if (this.settings.get_boolean('developer-mode')) {
+            // allow testing XR devices with just USB, no video needed
+            return {
+                monitor: this._monitor_manager.getMonitors()[0],
+                refreshRate: 60,
+            };
+        }
+
         return null;
     }
 
diff --git a/ui/com.xronlinux.BreezyDesktop.json b/ui/com.xronlinux.BreezyDesktop.json
index 0044ce7..3696228 100644
--- a/ui/com.xronlinux.BreezyDesktop.json
+++ b/ui/com.xronlinux.BreezyDesktop.json
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
         "--talk-name=ca.desrt.dconf",
         "--filesystem=xdg-run/dconf",
         "--env=DCONF_USER_CONFIG_DIR=.config/dconf",
-        "--env=GIO_EXTRA_MODULES=/app/lib/gio/modules/"
+        "--env=GIO_EXTRA_MODULES=/app/lib/gio/modules/",
+        "--env=GSETTINGS_BACKEND=dconf"
     ],
     "cleanup" : [
         "/include",
diff --git a/ui/data/com.xronlinux.BreezyDesktop.gschema.xml b/ui/data/com.xronlinux.BreezyDesktop.gschema.xml
index e320ff2..5061c16 100644
--- a/ui/data/com.xronlinux.BreezyDesktop.gschema.xml
+++ b/ui/data/com.xronlinux.BreezyDesktop.gschema.xml
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@
       <description>
         End distance when using the "toggle display distance" shortcut.
       </description>
+    </key>
+    <key name="developer-mode" type="b">
+      <default>
+        false
+      </default>
+      <summary>Developer mode</summary>
+      <description>
+        Enable developer mode
+      </description>
     </key>
 	</schema>
 </schemalist>