While Meta wants to expand its VR metaverse beyond just gaming, it’s games that will serve as a key entry point for many users, especially when you also consider the cultural influence of gaming, and its alignment with how younger audiences interact.
Which is why this is an important step – today, Meta has announced a new $7.99 per-month Meta+ subscription program, which will give users access to two different VR titles every month.
Meta specifically notes two Quest ‘titles’ per month, not games, but primarily, the focus will be on providing Quest users with access to new games, in order to get them more interested in its expanded VR offerings.
As explained by Meta:
“On the first of each month, you’ll get two titles to redeem, enjoy, and master. First up, we’re pairing Cloudhead Games’ physical action-rhythm FPS Pistol Whip with the nostalgia-fueled arcade adventure Pixel Ripped 1995 from ARVORE Immersive Experiences. And for August, you can look forward to a uniquely compelling social VR experience in Mighty Coconut’s Walkabout Mini Golf and some frantic weapon-crafting and shooter action in MOTHERGUNSHIP: FORGE from Terrible Posture Games.”
Subscribers will be able to keep each title as long as they remain a Quest+ member, so the value of the offering will accumulate over time. That could serve as an additional revenue stream for Meta, which is still nowhere close to making money out of its VR investments, while also helping to showcase its ever-evolving VR offerings.
The program is similar to the gaming subscription programs offered by Microsoft and Sony for their respective consoles, providing access to more games and offers to keep people playing. And while it’s the popular games of the moment that remain the key lure for each, for Meta, the new offering will serve a broader showcase purpose - and with the Quest 3 set to be launched soon, that could be a valuable complement to help maximize adoption and usage.
And Meta needs some more direction within its VR environment. While the technology is amazing, there’s not a heap to keep people interested in its VR offerings for too long as yet. By providing a more direct showcase, that could help to guide users towards more standout examples of the best VR features on offer, which could work to pique interest, and get people playing in its VR world for longer.
Which Meta could then parlay into broader usage of VR for more purposes, guiding users towards its metaverse vision.
Most people still don’t share Meta’s enthusiasm for this next stage just yet, but through steady expansions and additions like this, maybe, Meta can chart a course to migrate users across to its new environment, and win the coming AR/VR war against Apple and other players.
Again, the cultural influence of gaming cannot be overstated, and as such, leaning into gaming usage, while it’s not the limit of what VR can do, will be an important way for Meta to maximize adoption, and set a pathway into its next stage.
Small elements like this could play a big role in mapping the metaverse.
Meta Quest+ is available in the Meta Quest Store from today, with an introductory offer of $1 for the first month. Learn more here.
