Meta to Halt Support for Quest 1, End New Feature Rollouts - PCMag

If you bought a Meta Quest 1, we person atrocious news: The VR headset volition nary longer person caller features and information updates. 

On Monday, Facebook genitor institution Meta sent an email(Opens successful a caller window) to users astir ceasing enactment connected caller features for the device. The Meta Quest 1, besides known arsenic the Oculus Quest 1, volition stay usable to play games and entree apps. However, the institution volition lone rotation retired attraction and information patches until 2024, aft which the headset volition nary longer beryllium supported. 

In different astonishing move, Meta is shutting down the Quest 1’s entree to VR-based societal features. “Quest 1 users volition nary longer beryllium capable to make oregon articulation a party,” it says. “Quest 1 users who presently person entree to Meta Horizon Home societal features volition suffer entree to these features connected March 9, 2023. You won't beryllium capable to invitation others to your Home oregon sojourn idiosyncratic else's Home.

Meta declined to explicate wherefore it’s pulling enactment from the Quest 1. But the company’s connection to users notes: “We launched Quest 1 implicit 4 years agone and stopped selling Quest 1 successful 2020,” an indicator that Meta thinks the hardware is retired of date.  

The determination volition nary uncertainty annoy adopters of the Quest 1, the company’s archetypal standalone VR headset that doesn’t necessitate a nonstop transportation to a PC. It besides occurs a period aft legendary gaming developer John Carmack left Meta arsenic an advisor, and complained astir the company’s inefficiencies. “Make amended decisions and capable your products with 'Give a Damn!'" helium said.

Still, Meta’s determination to cancel enactment whitethorn spur income for the Meta Quest 2 headset, which received a $100 price hike successful August. It present starts astatine $399 for the 128GB version. 

In November, Meta besides laid off implicit 11,000 employees portion besides abandoning efforts on its Portal astute show business, amid the ongoing economical downturn.