Meta has begun the process of reducing support for the original Quest VR headset (opens in new tab). According to an email to owners, users will no longer be able to create or join parties and access Meta Horizon Home features beginning March 5, 2023.

The core Quest game and app functionality will remain unaffected, but no new features will be added to the headset; according to TechRadar, Meta will continue to release bug fixes and security updates for the headset throughout this year (in new tab open in new tab). However, the days of the first generation headsets appear to be numbered and users are being pushed to newer technologies.

At the time of its official demise, the Quest's lifespan would not have been particularly long, but neither was its time in the spotlight: first launched in 2019, the Oculus Quest (as it was then called) was followed just a year later by the improved Oculus Quest 2 (later Meta Quest 2 (opens in new tab)) was launched, after which the first-generation headset was discontinued.

Meta was quick to take notice of the Quest 2 and it became the most popular VR headset among gamers, topping the Steam Hardware Survey with a 41% market share. As a standalone headset, this does not account for all Quest 2s currently in use, but the headset has sold very well over the past few years despite recent price increases (open in new tab).

Meta has confirmed that a next-generation VR headset to replace the Quest 2 is in development for release this year. So Quest owners looking for something new may want to wait for the next one before upgrading. We also don't want to have to give up our Quest 2 headset when it reaches the end of its lifespan. For a more PC-centric experience, however, the Valve Index (opens in new tab) is the headset we recommend.

HTC will release a new Vive XR Elite (opens in new tab) headset next month.

The point is, if you want to upgrade, you have plenty of options. However, it is unfortunate that the death of the original Quest came so quickly. We're used to seeing technology, especially cell phones, dumped so quickly these days, and Meta's VR headsets seem to be in a similar cycle. The Oculus Go, for example, came out in 2018, stopped receiving feature updates in 2020 (open in new tab), and software fixes and patches ended at the end of 2022.