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Meta’s Ambitions in Cloud VR Gaming

Meta is making strides towards introducing cloud VR gaming for its Meta Quest platform. The much-speculated app known as “Avalanche” made a brief appearance in the Quest Store during October, showcasing legacy Oculus Rift games like Lone Echo and Asgard’s Wrath, before it was taken down shortly after.

Referred to by various names, including Avalanche and Project Razor, this cloud streaming initiative first came to light in 2022. Subsequently, it has been uncovered in leaked codes and experimental menus, with the latest information highlighted by UploadVR’s David Heaney.

Historically, Meta has prohibited third-party cloud streaming applications, such as Plutosphere, from the Quest Store, paralleling their earlier ban on Virtual Desktop before the rollout of Air Link. This indicates that Meta is poised to officially launch cloud streaming on Quest when the technology meets consumer expectations, potentially offering enhanced graphics exceeding the capabilities of the Snapdragon XR2 used in Quest 3 and Quest 3S.

Personally, I find it difficult to view Avalanche as anything beyond an intriguing but potentially high-latency experience unless it expands its library beyond older Oculus Rift titles. The partnership between Meta and Microsoft has already allowed for certain Xbox games to be streamed to Quest, but a broader collaboration could greatly enhance the appeal of Avalanche.

There have been murmurs about the potential for streaming AAA titles to the Quest since 2020, when Facebook’s VP of gaming, Josh Rubin, spoke about the ability to stream games “from a computer, over your Wi-Fi, to your face.” He acknowledged the substantial hurdles that would need to be navigated for such capabilities.

During this period, code suggesting the existence of “Oculus Avalanche” was initially detected in Quest v24 firmware, with further clarity emerging only two years later.

Further confirmation emerged in 2022 from VR analyst Brad Lynch, who unveiled Project Razor. He described it as a collaborative effort between Meta and U.S. ISPs/MNOs, such as Verizon and AT&T, aimed at enhancing connectivity and performance issues.

Playtesters were able to trial games like Lone Echo and Beat Saber as benchmarks for streamed XR performance, leveraging a “Meta edge network” and examining connectivity through 5G cellular networks with AWS Wavelength.

The future goal for Meta is to develop “cloud-first content” that would be unmanageable on Quest 3 or Quest 4 alone. This is akin to the Nintendo Switch’s capability to stream games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Hitman 3, which go beyond its hardware limitations.

It is still uncertain whether Meta will focus on traditional internet streaming or adopt 5G technology for its final offering. Recent FCC filings regarding the Quest 3 hinted at testing a “5G scan” from a 10GHz mmWave radio, yet the official specifications for Quest 3 merely mention Wi-Fi 6E.

Regardless of the method utilized, Meta faces the challenge of latency and ping issues inherent in cloud gaming, which can fluctuate based on internet speeds and distances from their servers. Traditional gaming offers some workarounds to lag, but in VR, any delay between user input and avatar reaction could lead to disorientation or nausea—an experience I had when testing the Plutosphere app in 2022. Therefore, implementing edge computing may be essential for Meta to address these concerns sufficiently.

Another unknown remains how Meta will price this new service. With the existing Quest Plus offering a modest selection of free titles, it’s plausible that an upgraded Quest Plus Ultimate could emerge, introducing an additional fee for streaming access.

Historically, PC VR games haven’t fared well in sales compared to Quest titles. Despite the advent of Oculus Link, many users lack compatible hardware or found the experience cumbersome, favoring a more straightforward wireless solution instead. As such, Meta Avalanche could tap into earlier VR experiences rarely accessed by most gamers nowadays. However, given that many developers have shifted their focus towards Quest-exclusive games, the excitement surrounding potential titles may be limited.

I envision the possibility of streaming popular SteamVR titles like Half-Life: Alyx, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and Star Wars: Squadrons on Quest without needing to commandeer my partner’s gaming PC. Nonetheless, as things currently stand, those games are only accessible through third-party applications, raising doubts about Meta’s ability to offer them via its official platforms.

Reflecting on my experience with the PSVR 2, I had anticipated a steady stream of AAA VR ports, including Resident Evil 8 and Gran Turismo 7. Instead, Sony seemed to recede from that vision, failing to reignite the early VR days marked by the excitement of titles like Skyrim and No Man’s Sky.

As it stands, Meta represents my last hope for accessing AAA VR ports without necessitating a PC. Nevertheless, the public hiccups experienced with projects such as GTA: San Andreas VR suggest that success will be far from guaranteed.

Imagining a collaboration where Meta and Microsoft could bolster their offerings by streaming VR ports of their leading first-person titles on Quest is enticing. Meta intends to release a limited-edition Xbox-themed headset, which could symbolize the beginning of a fruitful partnership in this regard. Despite Microsoft discontinuing Hololens 2 and its efforts toward an Android-powered MR headset, they could see Meta as an appealing VR gaming ally.

Envisioning titles like Minecraft, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Forza, or Halo being officially ported to VR is tantalizing, especially if they could be accessed through the Xbox Cloud Gaming app on Quest devices or via Meta’s Cloud Link.

Alternatively, Microsoft might opt to develop its own Horizon OS headset with exclusive VR ports while maintaining access to the best offerings available on the Quest Store.

The potential partnership between Meta and Microsoft raises many questions surrounding the legal and financial complexities involved. Microsoft could choose to maintain its ecosystem, while Meta may focus on leveraging Oculus Rift titles and any future AAA “cloud-first” content produced by its developers.

Ultimately, the current landscape suggests that most Quest gamers prioritize engaging, accessible content over high graphical fidelity, evidenced by the popularity of simple yet captivating experiences like Gorilla Tag. The success of Meta’s cloud gaming initiative may hinge not on big-name titles like Asgard’s Wrath or Lone Echo, but rather on popular franchises like Minecraft.

With Minecraft: Bedrock Edition set to lose VR support in 2025, the timing is ripe for an official, updated Quest port from Microsoft.

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