Abstract: Can Tencent, which has obtained the first right, treat users as preferentially as Meta?Then you have to put a big question mark.
Although Meta's metaverse business has suffered serious losses, it does not prevent Meta from giving benefits to users to retain users from being attracted by other VR brands. In this issue of Kaleidoscope, let's take stock of what actions Meta has taken to retain users.
Buy a Quest 3 and get a free Quest+ subscription
Meta launched the Quest+ subscription service this year, where users only pay $7 per month$99 or $59 per yearFor $99, you can add two free VR games to the library every month, and if you choose to cancel your subscription, you won't be able to play them, similar to Sony's PS Plus and Microsoft's Gold Membership service.
In order to boost the sales of the Quest 3, Meta is giving away the Quest+ subscription service for free. Users who purchase the 512GB version of Meta Quest 3 will receive a six-month free trial of Meta Quest+. However, according to information disclosed by foreign forums, users of the 128GB version of Quest 3 said that they also received a six-month free trial of Meta Quest+, and even users of Quest 2 claimed to have received the same offer.
Boost performance for free
In the past, if the hardware wanted to improve the performance, it was necessary to spend money to buy new hardware, but Meta did the opposite and improved the hardware performance by upgrading the system version for free.
In the V55 version released by Meta, Meta said that the update will increase the GPU performance of the Quest 2 headset by 19%, and the GPU performance of the Quest Pro will also be increased by 11%. Both headsets will see a 26% increase in CPU performance.
Meta says the performance upgrade should provide users with smoother gaming performance and responsiveness overall, as well as a more responsive system UI. The update also adds dynamic resolution scaling, allowing apps to take advantage of higher pixel densities and consistent frame rates.
Game discounts
Meta will sell games in the Quest Store at discounts from time to time to make it easier for users to buy and buy. For example, on this year's Black Friday, the Meta Quest Store launched a series of game discounts**.
From November 21 through November 28 at 10 a.m. PT, up to 103 gaming apps on the Meta Quest Store are offering 40% discounts, including but not limited to Demeo, Breachers, Hellsweeper, Killer Frequency, Toss!, Iron Man VR, I Expect You to Die 3, Budget Cuts Ultimate, No More Rainbows, Walkabout Mini Golf, etc.
Watch the NBA for free
Earlier this year, Meta announced that it would extend its partnership with the NBA to continue streaming NBA events in VR. Meta said it will continue to work with the NBA, and Meta Quest will remain the NBA's official VR platform. Fans with access to Horizon Worlds and Xtadium can look forward to new features and more VR basketball games.
U.S. users who own Meta Quest 2, Quest Pro or Quest 3 will be able to play a total of 52 live games of the NBA season for free** on Meta's original social platform, Horizon Worlds. Five of those matches will be broadcast in an immersive 180-degree** format and hosted by well-known sports commentators.
Participants will receive a Quest Pro
If Meta's user is a developer, he can expect to get $1,499 worth of Quest Pro for free. Some developers who attended the Roblox developer conference RDC 2023 posted on Reddit that the company also gave away a free Quest Pro to all attendees.
"We would like to give a special thanks to our partner Meta, which provided all of our RDC23 attendees with a Quest Pro giveaway so that developers can create the best Roblox experience for VR." Although it is not known how many Quest Pros Meta has sent, according to the situation on the scene, the number of developers may have reached thousands.
Announce that the chicken game is free
Meta announced at the beginning of the year that the original price was $29The $99 VR chicken game Population: One will be free to play for Quest 2 and Quest Pro players starting March 9, while the price will be reduced to $19 on Steam and the Rift Store$99. Meanwhile, Population: One will be bringing new content starting March 9 and will be giving players a bunch of free gifts, such as the original $80 Banana Bundel.
It is understood that "Population: One" is a PUBG game created by Meta's development studio Bigbox VR that can only be achieved through VR. The game features a unique vertical combat system and allows players to freely climb anything, fly anywhere, and engage in intense battles.
In addition to announcing that the game is free, Meta also released a roadmap for the game at the same time. For example, on March 9 the Battle Royale map will be upgraded, the store will be completely renovated, the graphics will be optimized, and much more;On March 30th, Sandbox Battle Royale Mode and Sandbox Battle Royale Playlist will be available, and matchmaking will be optimized. Going forward, Bigbox VR will continue to offer new ** and maps, and continue to optimize the game to create an unforgettable experience for players.
Play Xbox Cloud Gaming
If you're a Meta user and an Xbox Cloud Gaming user, you'll be able to play Xbox Cloud Gaming on your Quest device.
Last year, Meta reached a partnership with Microsoft to introduce Xbox cloud gaming to the Quest platform, and this year it finally happened. At Connect 2023, Meta announced that it will bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to Quest 3 in December this year. At that time, users can play Halo Infinite, Minecraft: Legends, Forza Horizon 5, Starfield, and hundreds of other high-quality Xbox games on a huge 2D screen with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and controllers.
Write at the end
On the whole, it is rare for a manufacturer like Meta to pet users and retain users. What's more valuable is that even if the loss of the metaverse is complained about, Zuckerberg will grit his teeth and persevere, he said: "The scale of the metaverse-related ecosystem will be further expanded, and next year's loss will increase significantly compared with this year." In other words, Meta continues to lose money, and the benefits to users will further increase.
It may be that Meta's spirit of "no matter how bitter you are, you can't be bitter to users" moved Tencent. After several rounds of painstaking negotiations, Tencent has reached a preliminary agreement with Meta to sell a low-spec version of the VR headset in China by the end of 2024, with Meta receiving the majority of revenue from device sales and Tencent getting more from content and services revenue.
Can Tencent, which has obtained the first right, give preferential treatment to users like Meta?Then there is a big question mark, after all, Ma Huateng does not have Zuckerberg's determination to "scatter his wealth" in order to build an ideal metaverse.
Wen Trafalgaro (this article **all** on the Internet).
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