Key Takeaways
- Meta Quest+ is a subscription service for VR games like Game Pass.
- VR games are expensive, short, and often hit-and-miss.
- Quest+ lets you try VR games you wouldn’t buy, like a gaming buffet.
I’ve always been a little apprehensive about spending money on VR titles because they represent so much more of a risk than traditional games. Meta Quest+ has solved this final bit of hesitation about VR for me, and opened my eyes to things I would not otherwise have tried.
In case you’re not familiar with it, Meta Quest+ is a subscription service that’s like Game Pass for your Meta Quest. You pay a monthly subscription fee and for that you can redeem two titles a month that are yours permanently, as long as you remain subscribed to the service. So it works a little like PlayStation Plus monthly games. The bit that’s like Game Pass comes in the form of a catalog of games that rotates over time. Then there are a few additional perks, such as member exclusive discounts when you purchase certain games.
So far, “so seen it before,” but because these are VR titles, Quest+ actually offers a unique value proposition you don’t get from something like Game Pass.
VR Games Are Pretty Expensive
The first reason Quest+ has been so great for me personally is that VR games are pretty expensive. In absolute terms they aren’t as expensive as new AAA released, but it’s not uncommon to see games in the Meta Quest store selling for $30 or more apiece. Even when the PC versions of those games might (in some cases) be cheaper on Steam!
I know complaining about the price of games can rile some people up, and I’m personally quite a penny-pincher when it comes to video games as a whole, but VR games also tend to be short and limited experiences. Some are little more than tech demos with some padding. Meta has a great refund policy, if you play less than two hours, but it’s a big deal for me to try games at my leisure without worrying that I’ve just spent $30 or more in something I’ll hate by hour three.
VR Games Are Extremely Hit-and-Miss
Although VR hardware is now quite mature, VR development is still in an experimental phase. Think of the early days of playing first-person shooters on consoles, or any 3D games when they first become possible. No one knew the best way to control characters or approach this new dimension. We take standard 3D game controls for granted these days, but back in the mid-90s it was a free-for-all.
VR is still firmly in that area, and for every Half-Life Alyx with its almost perfect VR translation of control and play, there are 10 VR games that have somehow managed to get everything about being in that game world wrong. Not to mention that there are extreme differences in comfort levels between even games in the same genre, and, of course, between individual people.
Which is all a way to say that with Quest+ I have played a bunch of VR games that I would never have spent any money on. Most of the time, my instincts were right, but in some cases I’ve found some games that I’ll likely come back to. Onward, for example, isn’t really my thing since I prefer single-player shooters, but it turns out it’s actually a blast and pretty thrilling.
VR Is All About Taste-Testing, and Quest+ Is a Buffet
If there ever was a gaming medium that benefits from a Game Pass-style service, it’s VR. There’s a lot of indie and “double-A” content in this neck of the woods, and lots of great ideas that wear thin after an hour or two.
Being able to sample the sheer variety of approaches and ideas in the VR space means you can find your comfort zone for little more than the cost of the headset itself, which is already the cheapest VR hardware on the market. It’s one of the easiest subscription service decisions I’ve made, and I can 110% encourage any current Quest headset owner to try it.
