Meta’s new Horizon Worlds meta verse game that launched in Paris and Spain this week got criticized for its primitive graphics.
Horizon Worlds is accessible through Meta’s Oculus VR headset, and got negative attention for graphics that looked like a video game from the late 90s.
The beta version of the game was launched to Oculus headset owners in the United States and Canada in December 2021 and later to all individuals 18 and older. By February 2022, the game had 300,000 monthly users.
OculusVR is not a PS5
Regarding criticism for the rudimentary graphics, a commentator from Hacker News called out Oculus VR headset for the blame with its 400 dollars price tag. Its limited processing power means it cannot render complex graphics with the same prowess as a Playstation 5. A postgraduate student at Annenberg School for Communication in Pennysylvania said the low-fidelity appearance reduces disorientation some vulnerable users may experience wtith more advanced graphics and thus may be intentionally designed that way. He also added that Horizon Worlds might be a sandbox environment for Meta to gain insight into what users are willing to pay for in a virtual world and is not the ultimate goal of the company’s efforts. Zuckerberg himself said that realizing the meta verse as the company envisions it could take 10-15 years.
Other critics pointed out the lack of lower body on the Horizon Worlds avatars’.
As a response to critics, Zuckerberg claimed that major graphical updates were on the way, even with its headset’s limited power. To demonstrate this, he published a selfie including basic lightning to illustrate the headset’s capabilities, which drew skepticism.
Creator monetization is key
In a chat with Vidyuu Studios, Zuckerberg underlined the importance of creators monetizing user feedback and contributing to the meta verse economy. Zuckerberg envisions that Meta will become the gatekeeper of a new virtual economy and take a cut from every transaction in the meta verse.
Companies and individuals already earn money in virtual environments like Roblox, where they can create virtual spaces to meet. Roblox, whose graphics can also be considered rudimentary, already lured 50 million users through a good user experience.
Ethereum co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, thinks that Meta’s attempt at the metaverse will fail.