What’s happening
Meta is adding more VR games such as Among Us and Iron Man to the Quest 2 later this year.
Why it matters
The new games could entice people to try out a Quest 2 VR headset or spend more time in virtual spaces as the company continues to bet big on the metaverse.
Meta is doubling down on virtual reality games.
During a virtual event on Tuesday, Facebook’s parent company revealed that highly anticipated VR games such as Among Us and Marvel’s Iron Man will debut later this year on its Quest 2 VR headset.
Meta has been betting big on the future of the metaverse, which is a virtual space where people can work, play and socialize. Getting more people into VR games is one way to entice them into entering computer-generated worlds. And while Meta wants people to use VR outside of gaming, offering more game titles could get people to strap on a VR headset for the first time or try out the metaverse.
The company has been buying buying VR game developers, which has caught the attention of US government agencies and lawmakers trying to rein in the power of tech giants. In July, the Federal Trade Commission said it’s trying to block Meta’s acquisition of Within Unlimited and its VR fitness app called Supernatural. The FTC accused Meta of illegally trying to expand its “virtual reality empire,” but Meta pushed back against allegations that the company is harming competition.
Meta’s battle with the FTC isn’t stopping the company from pushing forward with its metaverse ambitions. On Tuesday, Meta also announced that game developers Camouflaj, Twisted Pixel and Armature Studio are joining Meta-owned Oculus Studios.
“It’ll be a while before we can reveal what they’re working on, but we’re excited to continue working with and supporting these developers as they bring ambitious and forward-thinking games to VR,” Meta said in a blog post.
The company said that Quest headset users have already spent more than $1.5 billion on games and apps. There are more than 400 apps in the Quest Store and roughly one in three developers are making revenue in the millions.
Here are the new games coming this year to Quest 2:
Among Us VR
Among Us is a social deduction game where players have to identify imposters before they kill their crewmates on a virtual spaceship.
Meta
Described as a “party game of teamwork and betrayal,” Among Us grew in popularity in 2020 after players started to stream videos of the game on Twitch and YouTube.
As part of this multiplayer game, players need to complete tasks on a virtual spaceship before one or more imposters kill all the crewmates aboard. The concept of Among Us is similar to a social deduction game known as Mafia that people play in the physical world. Among Us is available on various gaming platforms such as Playstation and Xbox and through an app on Android and Apple devices.
Now the game is making its VR debut. Among Us VR launches on Nov. 10 for $9.99 on the Meta Quest and Rift stores. Players can preorder the game on the Meta Quest store.
Among Us VR supports four to 10 players, but you have to play with others who also have the VR version of the game.
Marvel’s Iron Man VR
Iron Man VR is coming to Quest 2.
Meta
Marvel’s Iron Man VR, which has been available on Playstation’s VR headset since 2020, is coming to Quest 2 on Nov. 3.
The action-adventure shooting game puts players in Iron Man’s body armor as the superhero battles a computer hacker known as Ghost and his army of hacked drones.
“Packed full of deep-cut references for longtime Marvel fans, this is the closest you can get to inhabiting Iron Man’s armor, short of building your own,” Meta said in a blog post.
Population: One Sandbox
Population: One Sandbox will allow players to create their own games.
Meta
The creators of Population One, a virtual reality battle royale game released in 2020, is leaning into more user-generated content.
In December, Population: One Sandbox will become available on the Quest 2 allowing players to create and share new games within this virtual world.
“Take the action to a moon base. Lay siege to a Viking village. Fight in zero gravity with nothing but swords. There’s plenty to explore. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination,” Meta said in a description of Population: One Sandbox.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution
The second chapter of The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is scheduled for release on Quest 2 on Dec. 1.
Meta
If you’re a fan of zombie apocalypse game The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, the second installment of the first-person shooter game is coming to Quest 2 on Dec. 1.
The game puts players in the shoes of a tourist who is trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic New Orleans filled with zombies.
“Hunted by the seemingly unstoppable Axeman and facing off against the Tower’s latest push for total dominance, discover what connects these new threats together before it’s too late,” the game’s description states.
Meta also revealed Skydance Interactive, the team that helped design The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, is also working on a new VR survival game called Behemoth.
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