MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
The Oculus app was reportedly the most downloaded app in the US over Christmas, suggesting that the recently rebranded Meta Quest 2 headset was a popular gift. The (yet to be rebranded) app, which can be used to purchase VR games and connect with other players, was number one for both Apple and Android phones, making it briefly more popular in terms of downloads than TikTok, Disney+ and Fitbit.
Given the scarcity of the latest console hardware (PS5’s and Xbox Series X/S machines), it’s no surprise that many gamers will have turned to Meta (nee Facebook) to fill their festive stockings, especially as recent releases have included the likes of Resident Evil 4 and Medal of Honor, as well as popular DLC for the evergreen Beat Saber.
The increased uptake, which suggests around 10% of Quest 2 sales occurred over the festive period (the headset launched October 2020 with an estimated 7-10 million units shipped since), will no doubt be seen as vindication for Facebook’s rebranding, which aimed to put VR and AR technologies very much at the heart of its plans to realise the so-called metaverse.
Recent reports have stated that the company formerly known as Facebook is looking to double its Quest 2 headset sales in 2022, a year that we’re expected to see the release of “Project Cambria” Meta’s next VR headset (by all accounts a kind of Quest Pro) and likely catch a first glimpse of the company’s first AR wearable, aka Project “Nazaré”.
