Announced recently by Facebook (via IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo on Twitter), the Meta Quest 2 has sold 14.8 million units worldwide since its launch in October 2020. Given the headset’s solid library of games and its ease of use and access, its success doesn’t come as a surprise.

Speaking of which, these updated sales figures mean that the Meta Quest 2 is now the most successful VR headset to date. It has, in fact, contributed to a growth in VR sales at large, which grew 97% in 2021 and a whopping 242% in the first quarter of 2022.

Meta Quest 2 has several major games coming in the near future, including the likes of GTA: San Andreas VR, Ghostbusters VR, The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution, and more.

https://twitter.com/fjeronimo/status/1533808257193721860

Jason Rubin, who is the current VP of Play at Facebook, announced on his official Twitter that Resident Evil 4 VR is now the fastest-selling app in the history of the Meta Quest, formerly known as the Oculus Quest. That’s especially impressive when you consider that the game was an exclusive to Quest 2 and unavailable for the original headset.

Resident Evil 4 VR is available now for the Meta Quest 2. The game will also get its version of the Mercenaries mode sometime in 2022.

We knew Resident Evil 4 would bring a different kind of thrill in VR, both for diehard fans of the franchise and those new to the game and VR. I'm excited to share that RE4 is officially the fastest-selling app in the history of Quest.

— Jason Rubin (@Jason_Rubin) November 23, 2021

These changes were made to reduce the sexualization of the character of Ashley, the president’s underage daughter. Multiple voice lines were removed as a result, while some scenes have also been edit to remove some questionable parts entirely.

Facebook said in its statement: “Oculus Studios, Armature, and Capcom partnered closely to remaster Resident Evil 4 from the ground up for VR. This includes immersive environments and high-resolution graphics. It also includes select changes to in-game dialogue and animations that we believe will update Resident Evil 4 for a modern audience.”

Resident Evil 4 certainly did have a problem in this and it’s certainly great that Facebook took the opportunity to address the criticism for modern sensibilities. Critical reception for the game seems to be positive right now, with most reviewers appreciative of the game’s conversion to the VR platform.

While the VR tech has not quite reached the heights some may have hoped, it is still evolving and some companies have a vested interest in helping it get to where it needs to be. One of those is Facebook with their Oculus headsets, and today they announced two big names coming to bolster their library.

As announced in their Facebook Connect event earlier today, a VR game in both the Assassin’s Creed series as well as a new Splinter Cell will come to Oculus devices. While Assassin’s Creed is an active franchise obviously, this will be the first solo Splinter Cell title in quite some time since Blacklist back in 2013.

No details were given about the games, even what time frame to expect them in, but we’ll most likely learn more about both as it gets closer to release. Odds are we probably should not expect traditional experiences from either and more those tailored to VR. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.

Oculus just announced something that is proving to be quite unpopular with many. Taking recently to Twitter via their official Twitter page, Oculus – who were acquired by Facebook in 2014 – confirmed that starting this October, all Oculus VR headsets will be linked with Facebook accounts.

So what exactly does that mean? Anyone using an Oculus VR headset for the first time will be required to sign in with their Facebook account rather than creating a separate Oculus account. Meanwhile, existing users who already have Oculus accounts will have to merge them with their Facebook accounts. By January 1, 2023, support for all Oculus accounts will be dropped, and though people can still continue using their headsets following that, they’ll need to link their headset to a Facebook account for “full functionality.”

“We will take steps to allow you to keep using content you have purchased, though we expect some games and apps may no longer work,” they wrote on their blog. “This could be because they include features that require a Facebook account or because a developer has chosen to no longer support the app or game you purchased. All future unreleased Oculus devices will require a Facebook account, even if you already have an Oculus account.”

Oculus says that having a single unified account will allow users to “find, connect, and play with friends in VR” much more easily. “We know that social VR has so much more to offer, and this change will make it possible to integrate many of the features people know and love on Facebook.”

Meanwhile, Oculus says that even after linking your VR headset to your Facebook account, you’ll have the option to maintain a unique VR profile, while you will also have the option to restrict how much of your VR activity shows up on your Facebook timeline, and which of your Oculus friends can find you on Facebook. Finally, Oculus will also introduce the ability to sign into a single headset with multiple accounts to allow for sharing.

“When you log in with a Facebook account, you can still create or maintain a unique VR profile,” they write. “And if you don’t want your Oculus friends to find you by your Facebook name, they won’t—just make it visible to ‘Only Me’ in your Oculus settings. You can also choose what information about your VR activity you post to your Facebook profile or timeline, either by giving permission to post or by updating your settings. And we plan to introduce the ability for multiple users to log into the same device using their own Facebook account, so people can easily share their headset with friends or family while keeping their information separate.”

Facebook recently acquired The Order: 1886 developer Ready At Dawn for development of Oculus titles. Later this year, Respawn Entertainment’s Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond will also be releasing exclusively for Oculus VR.

If you’re an existing user and already have an Oculus account, you’ll have the option to log in with Facebook and merge your Oculus and Facebook accounts.

If you’re an existing user and choose not to merge your accounts, you can continue using your Oculus account for two years.

— Meta Quest (@MetaQuestVR) August 18, 2020

Giving people a single way to log into Oculus—using their Facebook account and password— will make it easier to find, connect, and play with friends in VR. Visit https://t.co/SMeDOXgehN to learn more.

— Meta Quest (@MetaQuestVR) August 18, 2020

The world sure is changing at quite a quick pace it seems nowadays. Microsoft just recently announced they had sold their Mixer streaming app to Facebook, consolidating two of the major streaming services. But it’s not the only Facebook gaming related news today, as it seems a new developer has joined that umbrella- Ready At Dawn.

Ready At Dawn is probably most well known for developing the PSP God of War games, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta, as well as The Order: 1886, a game that came out close to the launch of the PS4 as an exclusive to that system. While that name never got a sequel, the company has continued making games, largely for VR, such as Lone Echo, Echo Arena, Echo Combat, and the currently in development Lone Echo II. The announcement was made via Oculus’ website here.

Since Facebook’s gaming side is focused heavily on their VR Oculus headsets, the move makes a good deal of sense. We’ll keep you updated as more information about their upcoming projects comes out.

When it comes to VR, some of the biggest hurdles has always been price and the cumbersome technology that can be more trouble than it’s worth. While we’re still a good way away from high end headsets being affordable for many and with less wires, one option has been the Oculus Quest, with its relatively reasonable price point and completely wireless application. And now, an even smaller version is on the way.

According to sources close to Bloomsberg, a new version of the Quest is in the works. It will be lighter than the current version of the headset, which is already incredible light at only 1.25 pounds. It won’t just be the size and lightness however, the refresh rate will be higher than the current 72 Hz, being tested with screens supporting 120 Hz. Though it’s unclear what the final rate will be.

The updated version of the Quest was slated to come later this year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting production lines it could slip into 2021.

It feels like we’re entering a period of serious consolidation in the game industry as many smaller studios are getting bought up by the major corporations that are either part of it already or coming into the business. Facebook is one such latter entity as they’ve beginning to muscle into the industry with their Oculus VR initiative.

It was announced via Facebook itself along with a FAQ explaining the situation that Beat Saber’s studio, Beat Games, is now under their umbrella. It’s interesting in and of itself, but what’s more interesting is probably that the FAQ explicitly states that more acquisitions will be coming soon with an almost ominous statement at the end.

“We’re exploring many ways to accelerate VR, and we think next year is going to be an incredible one of VR game launches and announcements. We are thrilled to have Beat Games join our team. This is just the beginning.”

Microsoft has purchased a lot of studios, with Sony also getting in on that with the recent purchase of Insomniac Games. Right now it seems that Facebook is mostly regulating itself to the VR business, but who knows what this “beginning” this will lead to.

The long running, protracted legal affair between ZeniMax Media (the owners of Bethesda and id Software) and Facebook and Oculus over the latter allegedly using proprietary VR technical information of the latter’s has come to an end. Today, ZeniMax Media announced that the two companies had settled out of court, in exchange for ZeniMax dropping all claims.

In a statement which made the announcement, ZeniMax CEO Robert Altman also noted that the company will always engage in litigation when necessary to defend its intellectual property.

“We are pleased that a settlement has been reached and are fully satisfied by the outcome,” said Altman. “While we dislike litigation, we will always vigorously defend against any infringement or misappropriation of our intellectual property by third parties.”

The case was basically revolving around former id mastermind John Carmack apparently having worked on some VR tech and concepts while in ZeniMax’s employee, and on their payroll, which he then proceeded to take to Oculus with him when he joined. It was likely that ZeniMax was going to win the proceedings, especially because a court already ruled in their favor, causing Oculus to take the case to appeals, which I suspect is one of the reasons that Facebook may have wanted to settle.

The original Oculus Rift was a good proof of concept- it’s a fantastic VR headset, especially when paired with the Oculus Touch controllers, and it shows the potential of VR pretty well. The problem, of course, is that it is ridiculously expensive, and it needs a high end PC to run at all, to which it also needs to be tethered at all times- adding to the costs and inaccessibility.

However, it sounds like Facebook and Oculus have been working on a new model that will address all these failings, in an attempt to make VR more mass market. According to Bloomberg, it sounds as though the new headset, codenamed “Pacific”, will be a more compact version of the Oculus Rift, lighter than even Gear VR. It will have a similar interface to a Gear VR, and will be controlled using a wireless remote. It will be standalone, and powered by a Qualcomm chip, with its power put somewhere between Gear and Rift. It will have no positional tracking, either.

The set is due to launch in 2018, with content makers being briefed on it later this year. It sounds like an interesting proposition- though the question of whether or not such stripped down VR actually even has merits as a medium to begin with remains. It will be interesting to see what Facebook does, that is for sure.