This could be big…
Yes, Meta has announced that Batman is coming to its Quest VR experience, with the next installment of the popular Arkham video game series set to be presented in its immersive virtual environment.
Which will definitely help Meta get more attention for its Quest offerings, given the popularity of Batman, and the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be in the Batsuit, swinging around the fictional city.
A lot, of course, will come down to the in-game experience, and how Meta’s able to translate on-screen engagement with its Quest controls. But maybe this is the one, the big title that could bring Meta’s VR platform into the mainstream.
Because really, it’ll only take one immersive, engaging experience to make Meta’s Quest units a must-have item. Currently selling for a reasonable $499 for the Quest 3, Meta’s VR headsets have seen surges in popularity over time, but they haven’t held sustained interest as yet.
That’s because most of the games and experiences on offer within Meta’s VR environment, while amazing as a technical achievement, are not all that engaging, and not something that users feel compelled to come back to that often. Indeed, I have a Quest 2, and I haven’t used it in over a year, because the controls feel a bit clunky in most experiences, and a lot of the motion makes me feel nauseous after too long.
That could, of course, be just me. But really, Meta’s still in the early stage of connecting real world gestures to VR response, and there haven’t been any major, transformative games or apps that have truly caught on in a big way.
Yet.
Again, the tipping point for VR could well be just one game, just one great experience that gets people talking, and prompts more kids to want to ask for a VR headset for Christmas.
I had thought that Grand Theft Auto VR could be that title, but after announcing it in 2021, we haven’t seen any further updates on its development.
Maybe, the next Arkham game could be the one. And if Meta can enhance its other experiences as well, maybe that’s the shift, the big momentum swing that gets more Quest units into people’s homes, and provides a true glimpse of the possible metaverse future.
It’s just one game, of course, and Meta’s got a long way to go in making back the money that it’s invested into VR development.
But one big title could be all the Meta needs to really get the ball rolling towards its future connective vision.
Meta will showcase more of “Batman: Arkham Shadow” at its Summer Game Fest 2024 on June 7 at 2:00 pm PT.
