Meta just killed some of its best Quest 3 game studios and convinced me to buy a Steam Frame instead of a Quest 4

Date:
Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Description:
Meta just closed several VR studios, but VR gaming isnt dead yet (I hope).

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Meta is turning its back on VR gaming. Thats the feeling many, myself included, are feeling after the reports that Meta has shuttered Twisted
Pixel, Sanzaru, and Armature, the game studios behind Marvel's Deadpool VR , Asgards Wrath , and Resident Evil 4 VR, respectively (among other VR projects).

In addition, Supernatural the excellent VR fitness app that was the linchpin of my VR exercise routine will no longer be receiving updates or new content (via the Supernatural Facebook group and emails sent to users). It will, however, remain active, though questions remain about certain specifics for example, will Supernaturals licensed music catalog eventually dwindle to almost nothing, or will partnerships still be renewed?

This also all comes in the wake of the news from late last year that Meta had paused its Horizon OS partnerships with Asus and Lenovo.

In a statement to Engadget, a Meta spokesperson said, We said last month that we were shifting some of our investment from Metaverse toward Wearables. This is part of that effort, and we plan to reinvest the savings to support the growth of wearables this year."

When I followed up with Meta to address claims it was turning its back on VR, I was told by a representative that Meta doesnt have anything to share on this. Deadpool VR was a blast (Image credit: Meta / Marvel)

While Meta might not have much more to share on this matter, I do: its pretty clear Meta isnt keen to push VR in quite the same way it once was.

The Oculus Quest 2 felt like the moment VR was waiting for. Aided, in part,
by people being trapped at home due to COVID-19-era lockdowns, and its truly affordable price for a solid VR machine, the Quest 2 sold phenomenally well.

In less than half a year, it had sold more units than all previous total
sales of all other Oculus headsets , and while it's hard to track precise figures for every machine, it seems that for a while the Quest 2 was
seemingly even selling better than the Xbox Series consoles (via Android Central ).

However, Metas golden goose didnt last forever, and the Meta Quest 3 didnt land with anything like the same splash, despite being such an awesome device in its own right.

And now Meta has a new favorite child: AI and its AI wearables like the (
also hugely popular ) Ray-Ban Meta glasses, and as it has said, it is
shifting some of its investment and priorities towards this new venture. Ray-Bans are in, VR is out (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Is VR
gaming dead?

VR gaming isnt dead yet, if not least because Valve has its Steam Frame headset due to land later in 2026, and while it wont be as affordable as a Quest 3 (most likely) the fact its a Steam Deck for your face so it kind of doubles as a Steam Deck and a pair of XR glasses to enjoy your games on a large virtual screen as well as having all of its VR gaming potential makes me at least a little confident it will have a strong landing.

Plus, if Valve or Google are looking to bolster their XR gaming efforts Google has its Android XR platform Ive heard a lot of talented folks are currently free agents.

Marvels Deadpool VR is a fantastic game for capturing the true promise of what it would be like to be Deadpool, and Asgards Wrath 2 is a superb, more open-world action adventure that VR doesnt have enough of. Seeing the teams behind those games work on something for a VR headset with some PC power behind it could be incredible. The Steam Frame could save the day (maybe) (Image credit: Valve)

Or if Android XR wants a dedicated XR fitness platform, the Supernatural team knows what its doing, and I think theres so much more to explore with fitness in XR especially in AR. Plus, from a music licensing side of things, Google might have an even easier time, as it already has services like YouTube
Music, which could open up an even broader suite of workout options.

Well have to wait and see how 2026 unfolds, but while this announcement is frustrating for Quest fans, I believe theres still some potential for VR to have a stronger year than it did in 2025 even if it is elsewhere.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/meta-jus t-killed-some-of-its-best-quest-3-game-studios-and-convinced-me-to-buy-a-steam -frame-instead-of-a-quest-4


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