Meta is shutting down one of its biggest VR games — but only for Quest 1 owners

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Population One, a popular battle-royale shooter set in virtual reality, will no longer be supported by Meta. The update stated that the game will no longer be available for purchase in October of 2022.

BigBox is shutting down so that it can focus on developing new experiences that will push the boundaries of multi-player virtual reality. The game can be played if the player has a PC that is compatible with virtual reality. The PC version of the game can be purchased via Air Link and Facebook. Users should be able to play Population: One with the help of this. There is still access to the game for players who use the Quest 2, and the other two virtual reality headsets.

You have to have purchased the game from the store within the past six months in order to get a refund. The policy seems kind of unfair for a game that launched on the Quest nearly two years ago and will likely leave a number of players with a game that they can't even play

The question of whether other developers will ax support for the three-year-old Quest 1 is raised by One's shutdown. According to Caiti Sullivan, the company is working out the details of an end-of-support process, and that other developers will be able to do so. When asked if any other games will end support for Quest 1 in the near future, Meta didn't reply.

I know that games can't support every older system forever, but doling out a price increase, along with an announcement that will leave one less game to play, is like a double punch to the gut. Meta could be trying to stem the losses of its virtual reality arm by raising the price of the Quest 2 and possibly even pushing users towards it.

The Population: One supports cross- buy has been added.