Around the same time Meta raised the price of its Quest 2 headsets, it also announced that it was ending Quest 1 support. population one, a popular battle-royal shooter set in virtual reality. Bigbox VR, the meta-owned developer behind the game, shared the update in a post on its blog, noting that Quest 1 owners will no longer be able to launch or play the game starting October 31, 2022.
Bigbox VR says the shutdown is necessary so it can focus on developing new experiences “that will push the boundaries of multiplayer VR.” Developers note that you can still play Population: One Via Air Link — a feature that lets you play games from your headset on your PC wirelessly — but it also means repurchasing games on Steam if you haven’t already. Players using Quest 2, Oculus Rift and Oculus Rift S will still have access to the game.
While Meta Offering Refunds for Quest 1 Owners Population: OneWell, there’s a catch: You had to purchase the game from the Quest Store within the last six months. The policy seems unfair for a game that launched on Quest almost two years ago and would potentially leave many players with a game they can’t even play (unless, of course, they’re now at the $399 Quest). 2 or use Air Link, which requires an expensive VR-ready PC).
Population: OneThe shutdown also raises questions about whether other developers will soon add support for the three-year-old Quest 1. META spokeswoman Katy Sullivan said in a statement ledge that the company is currently “working on the details of an ecosystem-wide end-of-support process,” and that “other developers who choose to end support for apps on the Quest 1 will be able to do so.” ” Meta declined to comment further when asked if any other games will end Quest 1 support in the near future.
I know the games may not support every older system forever, but the price hike, along with an announcement that will soon leave Quest 1 owners with one less game to play, is to the gut. It’s like a double punch. As my colleague Jay Peters points out, Meta could raise the price of Quest 2 in the first and second quarters of 2022 to offset the reported losses of its virtual reality arm, and perhaps even push users towards it.
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