Google rejects Meta’s request to integrate Play Store with Quest

Meta's quest to expand the Quest VR ecosystem hit a roadblock, according to the company's CTO, Andrew Bosworth. Despite hopes to integrate Google's Play Store, which houses a plethora of Android apps, Google has turned down the request. This decision by Google leaves Meta to rely on individual developers to bring their Android apps into the VR space.

In an Instagram AMA, Bosworth stated, "There's nothing preventing Android developers who have an APK that's running on Android phones today from bringing that into VR. They just have to ship the APK to us." He explained that while some apps might need minor tweaks for VR controls, the process wouldn't necessarily require significant changes. However, bringing the Google Play Store to VR isn't possible since Google doesn't want to do it. (Via UploadVR)

The absence of the Play Store means Quest users can't readily access the extensive catalog of Android apps, unless they sideload, which is a less straightforward process and doesn’t support apps requiring Google Play Services. This limitation doesn't apply to Meta's Messenger and WhatsApp, the only two Android apps available on the Quest Store. As for other popular 2D apps, their absence could be felt by users looking for more than the VR-exclusive content on Quest.

On the other side of the tech spectrum, Apple says that Vision Pro users will have nearly the entire App Store at their disposal. Apple states “Since most iPad and iPhone apps run on visionOS as is, your app experiences can easily extend to Apple Vision Pro from day one — with no additional work required.”. Google is also said to be crafting an Android XR platform for Samsung's future headset, likely featuring the Play Store's vast app collection.

This situation highlights the complexities of platform dependencies, an issue Meta hoped to avoid by acquiring Oculus. As immersive apps continue to grow, the role of 2D apps in XR platforms remains a hot topic. Whether or not Meta's rich selection of immersive apps will suffice in the absence of popular 2D apps is a question that could define the platform's success or shortfall. Will Meta's VR foray flourish, or could it potentially face the same fate as lesser-used platforms like Windows Phones and Chromebooks, which struggled due to app availability? Only time, and the importance of 2D apps in XR, will tell.