Meta won’t be providing the original Quest 1 VR headset with any new features, and will stop supporting it altogether from 2024.
The news has emerged from an email that’s been sent from Meta to some Quest VR users, many of who (including journalist Janko Roettgers) have taken to social media to share the news.
According to the email, Meta Quest 1 owners will still be able to use the company’s original VR headset and all available apps going forward. However, the company formerly known as Facebook will no longer ship any new features to the headset.
The Meta Quest 1 will continue to receive critical bug fixes and bug patches, but only until 2024.
While stopping support for a £400 VR headset within four years of its launch might sound bad enough, even worse is the fact that Meta is taking some existing features away. The company has announced that Quest 1 users will soon no longer be able to create or join parties.
It also revealed that Quest 1 users will lose access to Meta Horizon Home social features from March 5 of this year. At this point, you won’t be able to invite people to your Home or visit theirs.
The headset initially launched as the Oculus Quest in May of 2019. We praised it at the time for its wireless pick-up-and-play convenience and the relative affordability of its all-in-one nature.
Of course, it’s that very all-in-one nature that has gone some way to curtailing the Quest 1’s lifespan, as VR applications grow ever more ambitious.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
