The Meta Quest Store is getting Xbox Cloud Gaming, over a full year after it was originally announced. Come December, the Microsoft cloud platform will allow owners of Meta Quest headsets to play Xbox games in VR.
Meta revealed the news during its Connect event, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg adding the service would be built into Quest headsets, including the Meta Quest 3, which releases on October 10. Xbox Cloud is part of Game Pass, but it's currently unclear if Quest owners must be subscribed to play cloud games.
Last year, Meta touted that players would be able to connect their Xbox controllers to their Quest headsets, claiming that playing games like Halo Infinite and Starfield "on a massive 2D screen [is] like having a private movie theater available at all times." The VR market can be inconsistent and cost-prohibitive, so this move allows Microsoft to test the waters without risking millions on a device that could end up a loss.
Right now, the Quest is the only VR device with integration for Xbox's cloud game platform, but that may change in the near future. It's already accessible through other means, such as TVs and handhelds, so barring an exclusivity agreement, an expansion to other VR devices seems likely.
It also furthers Microsoft's long-term plans for Xbox, which include creating a larger global ecosystem that integrates the cloud in different capacities.
💥 AND GUESS WHAT 💥
— Meta Quest (@MetaQuestVR) September 27, 2023
Take your @Xbox games to all new levels on #MetaQuest3 with Xbox Cloud Gaming!
Play 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣s of high-quality Xbox games — including @Halo Infinite, @StarfieldGame, and @ForzaMotorsport — all on a massive screen you can take with you anywhere. Subscription… pic.twitter.com/qCeJFaON2K