So, You Want to Join the VR Metaverse? Here’s What You Should Know

Interested in VR? In this article, together we will cover the following:

• A little VR history/background
• Pricing
• Different Models
• Games and Apps
• Networking, Business
• Bonus: MobileVR

Virtual Reality is a fun, immersive, personal entertainment system you can enjoy in an apartment or house, you'll need about a wingspan's length of room, and you can play it almost anywhere. There are all sorts of different VR consoles you can get into, like the PlayStation VR2, the Pico 4, the Valve Index, and the HTC Vive Pro 2. But, the specific VR we're discussing today is the more affordable and ready-to-go Quest series developed by Meta (Instagram and Facebook's parent company).

Valve Index (MSRP: $999)

The Quest was originally developed by Oculus and the entire company was acquired by Facebook in 2014 before they changed the name to Meta. After Facebook bought the Oculus Quest, the Oculus VR company also underwent a name change and is now called Reality Labs, the VR division at Facebook. Facebook announced it's name change from Facebook, Inc to Meta Platforms on October 2021. Wondering where the Oculus went? It's the same thing. Oculus is now Meta, and the Oculus Quest is now the Meta Quest.

The entire Quest line of VR headsets are completely standalone, come with a USB-C charger and don't require a PC computer to use in any way. You need one AA battery for both handset controllers. If you decide to download drawing and painting apps and want to keep your artwork, you can save the files directly to the headset and access them with a USB-C tablet, phone, or email them to yourself and delete them later to save space. Same goes with videos, photos, and other files stored to your headset.

I've been a faithful VR user for 13 months now, at the time of this writing. I remember buying my Meta Quest 2 like it was yesterday. I caught the tail end of the Meta Quest 2 promotion, while thinking, "Duh, they're probably going to release the Meta Quest 3 soon". But I couldn't wait. Not even a little bit. I had every dollar I needed to make my move, so I paid best price for the highest storage Meta Quest 2 at 256gb for a whopping $450, refurbished online. Brand new would've been an extra $100-150 after tax, so I figured it didn't hurt too bad, until the price just kept dropping, reminding me that the Meta Quest 3 was on the rise.

Meta Quest 3 (MSRP: $649) & Meta Quest 2 (MSRP: $499)
Fortunately for many of us interested in virtual reality, the Meta Quest 3 is an entirely different beast, and like most of us interested in VR, we use it to escape reality, and operate in a totally virtual space. The Meta Quest 3 is actually aimed at integrating the game space with your surroundings, so it's safe to say my bet on the Meta Quest 2 was safe. Meta Quest 3 is a mixed reality headset, and the cameras give a color picture feedback, which effectively makes it an augmented reality headset instead of a virtual reality headset.

I have ADHD and the AR (which is integrated gaming within your reality, the space around you within your home or office) is a bit too much going on for me right now. I'm just here for the VR, so I can get out of my head about being home at all. VR effectively removes me from my space while allowing me to still be at home or in my office.

Not to mention the enterprise level Meta Quest Pro, which is also more of an AR headset than VR. It is dramatically more expensive than the Meta Quest 2 and 3 combined, and geared at tech professionals. It came out at a massive $1,499, and is now available for $499 less at the Meta store, listed for $999.

Meta Quest Pro (MSRP: $1,499, later $999)

At this stage in VR, you too, can buy a refurbished, factory reset Meta Quest 2 at under $199 for a 64gb or 128gb model (I suggest looking in your local secondhand market like Facebook Marketplace or a pawn shop nearby).

The higher the storage, the better, which is why I went all in for the 256gb. Think about it like when you're buying a smartphone which you might not be upgrading immediately after the next one is released. You want it to last, so you'll likely get as much storage you can afford.

You can also upgrade your battery by buying a battery headset attachment that doubles as a new head strap to make the VR sit comfortably on your head and balance the battery accordingly. I had my VR for about 1.5 months before I decided it was direly necessary for me to play longer to enjoy more time in VR. Without an extra battery attachment, you can get anywhere from 50-60 minutes of game time before it dies. With an extra battery, I've experienced around 2 hours of gameplay before the batteries died. Well worth the money. I only paid $30 for my extra battery headstrap, and I've seen them go for well over $60 to $100. After already paying $450, I was not willing to invest that high, so I took a chance with the $30 headset, and it did not disappoint! Great addition to keep the gaming alive.

Meta Quest 2 with Elite Strap

Let's talk about the games and apps.

There are many different games and applications available to you on the Meta Quest store, lots are free, and there are tons of others that are paid. When it comes to games, a good majority of them are in the range of $30-60, so prepare to spend a pretty penny on a quality collection. In the same breath, a lot of fitness and exercise games are totally free, so you know what you're getting into before you start to pay for your new games.

If I'm honest, the games are very much worth the money, it's just a matter of actually investing your time into it next. Think of your VR experience like a gym subscription… I won't go any further into that comparison, I think you get the point. Just make sure you take the time to get involved in your VR headset so you can give yourself a fair chance to explore and get the most out the experience. I promise, it's very rewarding and it changes your entire world.

There are social games, fitness games, applications that allow you to watch movies in a virtual movie theater (yes, it feels like you're actually there!), and so much more! You can watch NBA basketball court side in the arena with your friends. You can challenge your friends to a work out. You can host a nightclub from home and promote it on social media. You can play a game of basketball in 3D. You can play air hockey on an island. You can make beats from scratch or even DJ in a virtual club! It's really hard to explain the excitement of immersive, virtual entertainment in simple words, so I plan on doing a few review videos and giving you an inside look asap. It's necessary!

Here is a list of games I play in VR. The bold + italicized are paid. The rest are free.

• Ultimechs
• ChallengeBox: Fitness
• FitXR
• Gods of Gravity
• Spark VRUNO
• Vegas Infinite
• Epic Roller Coasters
• Unlimited Bowling
• Ultimate Air Hockey VR
• Gym Class – Basketball VR
• Maestro: The Masterclass
• Bait!
• Virtual Chess
• Gravity Sketch
• Flipside Studio
• Spatial
• Meta Horizon Worlds
• Meta Horizon Workrooms
• Republique VR
• YouTube VR
• Pluto TV
• Xtadium
• Bigscreen (Beta)
• Meta Quest Browser (preinstalled)
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Powerpoint
• Coursera
• Rec Room
• Roblox
• VRChat
• Facebook (preinstalled)
• Instagram
• Discord
• WhatsApp
• Open Brush
• Wooorld
• Hyper Dash
• Gun Raiders
• AimXR
• POPULATION: ONE
• Survival Nation (25% off code) – Costs $29.99
• Painting VR (25% off code) – Costs $19.99
• Car Mechanic Simulator (25% off code) – Costs $19.99
• Vermillion – VR Painting (25% off code) – Costs $19.99
• Kingspray Graffiti (25% off code) – Costs $14.99
• SculptrVR (25% off code) – Costs $19.99
• Tribe XR | DJ Academy (Subscription based game)
• Pavlov Shack

Looking for friends in VR? Try networking on socials and find other active gamers looking to play. Or hop into a multiplayer lobby and look for other gamers. It's your call.

You can use Facebook groups, Instagram, and Twitter/X to find new gamers, but the best place to look for gamer friends is through Twitch and Discord. Discord is known for keeping the party going for gamers and computer savvy social groups at any given moment. There are tons of communities that have online gamers in the VR space who look for dedicated friend groups. One of the most social places to find gamers is Meta Horizon Worlds. It's a huge, relaxed socializing atmosphere where you travel around using your avatar that you create in the main menu. Horizon Worlds, Horizon Workrooms, and a few other games like Tribe XR for example, allow you to import your main character avatar to use in the game without having to make a new one. So you can dress to impress before you show up and not have to make any additional changes!

Rec Room, Roblox, Spatial, and VRChat are also socializing experiences that have both game lobbies and social lobbies where you can meet new people, chat, interact, and hang out. These games, including Meta Horizon Worlds, are all considered metaverse experiences. This means you can experience the game from multiple different devices like a desktop computer, an android or iOS device, and now, your VR headset. Only Horizon Worlds is not currently available outside of VR. The other games mentioned are cross-platform.

Bonus: MobileVR

Mobile virtual reality was a short-lived exploration of virtual reality on the mobile phone. Do you remember Google cardboard? Its where you slide your smartphone (both iOS and android compatible) inside of a hollow VR headset, and the phone screen effectively becomes your VR screen. I've tried it with a more dedicated plastic build from Walmart for under $20 and it came with a game controller. The downsides to this MobileVR is that it doesn't have built in hand tracking, no cameras to see around you from within the game, and pretty much no controllers except for if you attach a bluetooth controller to your phone prior to stepping into the VR experience. Maybe it's good for just watching films, YouTube videos, or some free games to get an understanding on VR before dropping $200 on a fully standalone setup. But I would feel like I were robbing you of a fair chance if I didn't tell you this existed and was heavily promoted at one point.

Samsung took a huge amount of the promotion on their own shoulders, boasting the Samsung VR headset compatible with the Samsung Galaxy series of phones. Today, you're lucky to see anything related to Samsung VR in any store like Walmart, Target, or Best Buy; you would likely have to preorder it online and pick it up at the store if you were ever to see one there at this time.

That's all I've got for you for now, and stay posted as I get ready to go in depth about the fitness games and apps in VR, drawing and creativity apps in VR, and other productivity apps in VR so there's a better understanding on how to get the most out of these apps. In all my 13 months of VR exploration, I've noticed not many people are excelling in the space, and I'm here to change all that, now. So check here on Post Affect for more detailed articles, and get ready for some YouTube videos, because who doesn't like to just watch it and get it over with? Sometimes articles are just overrated. Not really showing enough of the big picture.

See you soon,

Taylor Camro

Got any VR related inquiries or questions? Interested in having me review your VR game/app? Contact me on Twitter/X at @taycamVR and I'll get back to you.