Meta’s Decision to Discontinue Quest Move: What it Means for Fitness Enthusiasts
The virtual reality landscape offers an appealing avenue for those seeking to combine fitness with immersive experiences. VR/XR headsets, such as Meta’s Quest line, have been a popular choice for workout enthusiasts. Games that get your heart pumping and the sweat flowing are commonplace, with users regularly tracking their progress through in-built apps. However, those using Quest 3 for health purposes received some unfortunate news: Meta has decided to discontinue the popular Quest Move feature.
If Quest Move doesn’t ring a bell, imagine it as a digital companion, analogous to your smartwatch’s fitness app. It provided users with insights into how many calories were burned and the duration of their activities while using the VR headset. For added integration, users could even sync their smartwatch or fitness trackers to monitor heart rates during sessions.
Many have enjoyed Quest Move’s functionality, particularly during intense, rhythm-based games like Beat Saber. Despite the satisfaction it brought to its users, the app will soon see its end. This decision was confirmed in a public discussion by Andrew Bosworth, head of Reality Labs at Meta, who revealed the ending of support for the app. He stated, “We have a small but loyal crowd who really uses this app. Unfortunately, it is not enough of a crowd to justify the expense of continuing to maintain it and keep it going.”
The reasoning behind this decision seems clear from Bosworth’s statement — the cost of upkeep is not justified by the relatively small user base. For those who have relied on Quest Move, finding an alternative solution becomes imperative as the countdown to March 31st ticks away — the day Meta officially ceases support.
The discontinuation of a beloved app can be disheartening, especially for those who have latched onto Quest Move as a critical part of their fitness regime. Nevertheless, this is a common occurrence in the technology sector, where resources are continually reallocated to optimize the development and support of services that meet broader consumer demands.
The road ahead for health-conscious VR users is about adaptation and exploring new methods to track their virtual exercise endeavors. It may be time for users to seek third-party apps or alternative solutions to continue monitoring their fitness journeys in the virtual realm.
