Is Facebook the Future of VR?

When Facebook bought Oculus in 2014, it was safe to assume that they intended on establishing themselves as the future of VR. Earlier this week, they made an attempt to just that by announcing that they have acquired Beat Games, the Prague based studio behind the immensely popular Beat Saber.

No details of the purchase have been released other than Beat will become part of Oculus as an independently operated studio.

The 8 man studio has sold over one million copies of Beat Saber, a rhythm style game in which players equipped with a light saber slash at tiles in time to music.

Good or bad?
Whether or not this proves to be a good deal or a bad one remains to be seen. Financially, it would have to be a good deal for Beat, but there are pros and cons. One definite advantage is that Facebook has a more established brand, so acquiring music licenses should be easier. A major disadvantage is that Facebook is a more established brand. Yes, the major advantage presents an equally major disadvantage. Currently, users are able to use mods that allow for unlicensed music to be used. Beat has already issued a statement saying that use of unlicensed is not what developer mode was intended for.

The future of VR
Oculus commented that this acquisition is “just the beginning,” signifying that in the coming years they will follow the Microsoft model and acquire several more companies.

Are you a fan of Beat Saber? How do you feel about the acquisition? Could Facebook be the future of VR? Do you Think Facebook will make some unwanted changes as they have done with Instagram?

Author: Donnell Peavy