Things aren’t looking up for Oculus Quest 1 users, as Meta has announced it’s axing support for the VR headset. It’s a move somewhat expected by some since the release of the more powerful Oculus Quest 2, but that doesn’t make this any less disappointing.
While fans will still be able to use their Oculus Quest for games, removing social features makes it a mostly-offline experience. Losing access to social features like parties is still a major blow to the system, forcing players to upgrade if they want to join their friends.
Obviously, no one likes to see hardware abandoned, but that has become the norm for these products and it won’t stop with Oculus Quest 1. Still, purchasing VR equipment like this isn’t cheap and its successors won’t be any cheaper.
Meta sent an email to Oculus Quest 1 users with the title “Upcoming Changes for Quest 1,″ as reported by UploadVR. The email details how players will still be able to play games and use certain apps. However, players will no longer be able to join parties, and maintenance for the device will end in 2024.
Here is the email Meta sent to users:
“We launched Quest 1 over four years ago and we are grateful to the Quest 1 community for pushing VR forward. As we look to the future, we remain committed to supporting the community of Quest 1 users and will continue to support the headset with a few changes:
You will still be able to use your Quest 1 headset and available apps.
We won’t be shipping new features to Quest 1.
We plan to continue maintaining the system software with critical bug fixes and security patches until 2024.
Quest 1 users will no longer be able to create or join a party.
Quest 1 users who currently have access to Meta Horizon Home social features will lose access to these features on March 5, 2023. You won’t be able to invite others to your Home or visit someone else’s Home.”
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VR users can purchase Oculus Quest 1 today, with rumours of an Oculus Quest 3 coming soon.