Meta Is Finally Saying Goodbye To This Headset
Meta has just informed its users that it is about to drop social support for the original Quest 1 VR headset. This is a big loss for many of those who use the device, as the social aspects of VR have always been one of its major draws. Meta itself pushes this as one of the reasons to buy its headsets, boasting that users will have the ability to "host game nights from anywhere, meet up at a live concert or join a community and build whatever you can imagine, together."
This news comes by way of an email that Meta sent out to its users titled, "Upcoming Changes for Quest 1" (via Reddit). In this message, Meta stated that they would be implementing the following changes to the support it provided for the headset: There will be no new features added, users will no longer be able to create or join a party, and users will lose access to "Meta Horizon Home" social features by March 5, 2023. It appears that Meta tried to soften the blow by reassuring its users that they will still be able to use the headset with any available apps and that the company will continue maintaining the software until 2024. As many might imagine, fans didn't seem thrilled by the news.
Meta is shifting focus to newer hardware
The email appears to have been quite the unwelcome surprise to several fans who still use the headset. The Quest 1 first launched back in 2019, but four years isn't a tremendously long life cycle for a $400 piece of equipment to already be losing major features — and a lot of people enjoy using it specifically for its social aspects.
The fact that other apps will continue working is seen by many as the bare minimum. Reddit user efstajas wrote, "I'd understand not getting updates at some point, but features actively being taken away while still working on newer hardware is quite upsetting, especially something as [basic] as being able to create a party." Others seem to believe that Meta made this move to drive users toward its newer hardware.
The Meta Quest 1 is the same headset that was originally launched as the Oculus Quest but was rebranded as part of the Meta umbrella in January of last year. It's one of the first headsets that made VR seem attainable and quickly became an extremely popular option for those looking to get into the hobby. That said, its successors have been significantly more successful in the years since, and it appears that Meta is now shifting its focus to the Quest 2 (which it increased the price of by $100 last year) and the newly released Quest Pro.