Meta to shut down one of its biggest VR games

Around the same time that Meta increased the price of its Quest 2 headset, it also announced that it would drop support for Quest 1 for Population One, a popular VR-set battle royale shooter. BigBox VR, the Meta-owned developer behind the game, shared the update in its blog post, noting that Quest 1 owners will no longer be able to launch or play the game as of October 31, 2022.

BigBox VR says the shutdown must focus on developing new experiences "that will push the boundaries of multiplayer virtual reality." However, Quest 1 players can still technically play the game if they have a VR-ready PC. The game supports cross-purchase making the PC version available through Air Link and Oculus Link. This should allow users to play Population: One by connecting their Quest 1 headset to their computer (either wirelessly or with a wired connection). Players using Quest 2, Oculus Rift, and Oculus Rift S will still have access to the game.

While Meta offers Quest 1 owners a refund for Population: One, there's a catch: You must have purchased the game from the Quest Store within the last six months. The policy seems a bit unfair for a game that launched on Quest nearly two years ago and will likely leave multiple players with a game they can't even play (unless, of course, they upgrade to Quest, which is now $399) 2 or use Air/Oculus Link, which requires an expensive VR-ready PC).