Meta is shutting down one of the biggest virtual reality games – but only for Quest 1 owners

around the same time Meta has raised the price of the Quest 2 headphonesIt has also announced that it will end Quest 1 support for population is one, a popular battle-royale shooting game set in virtual reality. BigBox VR, the Meta-owned developer behind the game, Share the update in a post on his blogNote that Quest 1 owners will not be able to launch or play the game as of October 31, 2022.

BigBox VR says the shutdown is necessary so it can focus on developing new experiences that “will push the boundaries of VR multiplayer.” Quest 1 players can still technically play the game if they have a VR ready PC. The game supports buy viamaking the PC version available via Airlink And the louver link. This should allow users to play Population: one By connecting the Quest 1 headset to your computer (either wirelessly or via a wired connection). Players using Quest 2, Oculus Rift, and Oculus Rift S will still have access to the game.

While Meta is offering Quest 1 owners a refund for Population: oneThere’s a catch: You’ve had to purchase the game from the Quest Store for the past six months. The policy seems a bit unfair to a game that launched in Quest nearly two years ago and will likely leave a number of players with a game that they can’t even play (unless, of course, they upgrade to the game. Now – $399 Quest 2 Or use the Air/Oculus Link, which requires an expensive VR-ready PC).

Population: oneThe closure of the program also raises the question of whether other developers will lose support soon Three-year-old Quest 1. Meta spokeswoman Caiti Sullivan said in a statement to the edge That the company is currently “working on the details of the end of support process at the ecosystem level”, and that “other developers who choose to end support for applications on Quest 1 will be able to do so.” Meta declined to comment further when asked if any other games would end support for Quest 1 in the near future.

I know games can’t support every old system forever, but the price increase, along with the announcement that will soon leave Quest 1 owners with less game to play, is a double whammy. as such My colleague Jay Peters points outMeta could raise the price of Quest 2, possibly pushing users towards it, to stem losses reported by the VR arm in both first And the Second Quarter 2022.

Update August 7th at 2:27 PM ET: Updated to add that Population: one Supports cross-purchasing.