Meta is entering the subscription scene with Meta Quest+. Like the name implies, the service is an effort to bring in more users to the Meta ecosystem by allowing them to access their game library across both the current Quest 2 and Quest Pro headsets, along with the Quest 3 in the fall.
Subscription services are just a part of life now, and in the case of games, they allow different titles to attract users to the service. Both PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass have had success with this, with recent standouts being Stray from last year or January's Hi-Fi Rush.
Current pricing for the service comes to $8/month, or $60 for a full year. Similar to PS+, subscribers receive a pair of games to redeem and add to their library at the start of every month.
On its website, Meta wrote that such services services "have been a great way to get more bang for your buck as far back as the Blockbuster days. Meta Quest+ combines affordability with the convenience of a curated experience."
Are subscription services what the VR space needs?
While Meta is currently in the midst of trying to figure itself out in VR, the temperature around subscription services has cooled. Or at the very least, platform makers are becoming a little more clear about the purpose these services have in their overall business plans.
Back in February, a UK regulator found that Game Pass ends up hurting a game's sales prospects for a year (or more) after it's added to the service. While titles are on Game Pass for longer than a month, that's still something to take note, especially for the older VR games out there.
Continuing the Microsoft comparison, it's worth asking how long that Quest+ price will stay at $8/mo. Last week, Microsoft revealed Game Pass prices will go up in early July, and recent history has shown that Meta will fluctuate the price of Meta products whenever it pleases.
Right now, the two games are the one and only selling point for Meta Quest+. If Meta wants it to take off and be the VR space's equivalent to Game Pass or PS+ (or even Nintendo Switch Online), it'll need more to offer.