Meta shuts down its biggest VR game for Quest 1 owners

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) Meta is shutting down Quest 1 virtual reality (VR) headset support for 'Population: One', its popular battle-royale game set in VR.

Quest 1 owners will no longer be able to launch or play the game starting October 31, its developer BigBox VR has announced.

Quest 1 players can still play the game if they have a VR-ready personal computer.

"We are building 'BIG POP1' experiences that will push the boundaries of multiplayer VR. In order to focus our efforts on next-gen features and tech, we're ending Quest 1 support on October 31, 2022," the company said in an update.

Account progress, in-app purchases (IAP), and crossplay for Population: One are still available on supported devices, including Meta Quest 2, Oculus Rift S and Oculus Rift.

Amid the increased production costs and global chip shortage, tech giant Meta is also increasing the price of its Quest 2 virtual reality (VR) headsets, starting this month.

The company said that from August, Meta Quest 2 will cost $399.99 and $499.99 for the 128GB and 256GB versions, respectively.

Recently, Meta announced a new setting known as Voice Mode in Horizon Worlds that gives users more control over their experience.

The feature allows the Quest 2 VR headset users to choose how they hear people who are not on the friends' list, including the option not to hear unwanted conversations at all.