Meta must provide potential users a reason to visit (and remain at) its Horizon Worlds VR social network if it is to have any chance of success. The firm said in an update noticed by The Verge that their most recent effort to do that is something called “quests,” which allows users to finish in-game activities to win (virtual) goods like apparel.
Through a game called Giant Mini Paddle Golf, the feature—which doesn’t seem to be connected to the Quest headset branding—is currently undergoing beta testing. “Those who are part of the test group will notice a new ‘Quests’ icon in their Identity Panel. Clicking on this icon will open the new quests board and display six tasks (such as Get a Hole-in-one) and the rewards they offer. (e.g. Sea Captain Costume). Travel the world with a single click to get started, as stated in the description. Over time, Meta intends to expand its user base.
While now restricted to a single experience, it’s simple to picture Meta providing quests in various areas of Horizon Worlds to provide Quest VR headset users with more to do. Perhaps the quests feature will be included in the 20 new Horizon experiences the business announced last month that it planned to release.
At the end of 2022, the number of users on Horizon Worlds was said to be approximately 200,000, much below the target it had originally set. Recently, Meta revealed plans to allow youngsters between the ages of 13 and 17 to access Horizon Worlds. This decision drew criticism from two US senators who questioned Meta’s record of protecting younger users.
