Story
Meta to Bundle Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition with Horizon+ Subscription
Summary
Meta Platforms is expanding its gaming offerings by adding Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass starter edition to its Meta Horizon+ subscription, giving Quest VR headset users access to cloud-based gaming.
Meta Platforms announced on Tuesday it is integrating the Xbox Game Pass starter edition into its Meta Horizon+ subscription service, a move that significantly expands the gaming content available on its Quest virtual reality headsets and deepens its partnership with Microsoft.
Expanded Gaming Library
The collaboration will provide Horizon+ subscribers with access to more than 50 titles from the Xbox Game Pass catalog through cloud gaming. This is in addition to the more than 100 virtual reality games already available through Meta's service.
According to the announcement, the starter edition bundle includes:
- 10 hours of cloud gaming per month.
- Access to popular titles such as "Fallout 4," "Grounded," and "Overcooked 2."
AdMeta also stated it will release a gamepad emulator in the coming weeks. This software update will allow the Quest Touch controllers to function as a standard Xbox controller, streamlining the experience for users who do not own a separate gamepad.
Strategic Context
This partnership marks a strategic push by both tech giants to leverage their respective strengths. For Meta, it diversifies the content on its Quest platform beyond native VR experiences, potentially broadening its appeal to a wider audience of traditional gamers.
The move follows Meta's decision in April to raise prices for its Quest headsets, which the company attributed to higher component costs. For Microsoft, the deal extends the reach of its Xbox Game Pass service to a new hardware ecosystem, following a recent restructuring of its gaming division that included about 3,200 job cuts aimed at improving returns on its significant investments, including the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
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