Meta’s funding of XR bears fruit as Quest gets exclusive new capabilities
Meta has spent billions of Dollars and lots of years funding the growth of XR (Extended Reality). CEO Mark Zuckerberg is convinced that this is the future of computing, and so the company keeps experimenting. Now the Meta Quest headsets, and Horizon OS in general, have just gotten a revolutionary new set of tools.
Godot Engine, a game development engine like Unity and Unreal, has now gotten a VR version that doesn’t require a PC. Meta started funding this project months ago and the result is an engine that you can work in without ever having to take off your Meta Quest 3. And because Meta made Horizon OS available to third parties, any future XR devices running on Horizon can also use Godot.
The biggest advantage of Godot in VR is the fact that you won’t have to switch between your desktop and your headset to preview your game. With everything happening inside VR you’re able to keep an eye on things every second of development.
Another really cool feature is the ability to switch between development and playing the game instantaneously. And if you’re developing a flat screen game you can test it in a virtual window while the editor remains open in another.
The biggest advantage of Godot in VR is the fact that you won’t have to switch between your desktop and your headset to preview your game. With everything happening inside VR you’re able to keep an eye on things every second of development.
An excellent headset and now a game development kit too? | Video credit — Meta
This is exactly the kind of practicality Apple marketed for the Vision Pro. But while Apple’s headset sees poor sales due to cost concerns Meta is ready to launch an even cheaper headset: Meta Quest 3S. And the Quest 3S will also support Godot — alongside everything else Quest 3 can run — making it an excellent headset for those on a budget.
Godot is just one example of Meta’s attempts to capitalize on a burgeoning industry. The company is almost ready to demo its AI-powered AR smart glasses, possibly this month at Meta Connect. Meta has also just extended its agreement with EssilorLuxottica, shattering Google’s plans to develop smart glasses with the Italian-French eyewear manufacturer.
Due to Horizon OS going public, Asus and Lenovo are designing XR devices of their own that will be running on Meta’s platform. This is an excellent time to jump into VR and I have my fingers crossed for some amazing innovation in the industry sooner rather than later.
If you want to try out Godot for yourself you can get it on the Horizon Store here.
Godot is just one example of Meta’s attempts to capitalize on a burgeoning industry. The company is almost ready to demo its AI-powered AR smart glasses, possibly this month at Meta Connect. Meta has also just extended its agreement with EssilorLuxottica, shattering Google’s plans to develop smart glasses with the Italian-French eyewear manufacturer.
If you want to try out Godot for yourself you can get it on the Horizon Store here.
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