Meta: First Encounters

‘We had a lot of fun creating an experience for the new Quest 3 that seamlessly blends the virtual with the physical. By developing dozens of special effects, we were able to create an entire virtual world with its own unique visual style and top-tier quality, capable of competing with modern console and PC games’

Mariusz Kucharczyk, Art Director, UNIT9

‘It’s difficult to find another mixed-reality game in the Quest Store that meets or exceeds the caliber of AR immersion you experience with the extraterrestrial game.’

Mashable

The background

In October, the Meta Quest 3 headset launched to rave reviews, with many praising it as the best standalone mixed reality headset in the market. For its launch, we collaborated with Meta on a mixed reality game called ‘First Encounters’ that comes pre-installed and ready to play on every headset.

The execution

‘First Encounters’ immerses players in a space-themed adventure where the goal is to capture as many ‘space puffians’ as you can before the time is up. What sets the gameplay apart on Meta’s new headset is the way users can interact with a blend of their physical surroundings and the virtual space-scape environment of ‘First Encounters,’ offering a whole new mixed reality gaming experience.

The project utilised the Quest’s improved passthrough capabilities to help virtual content bleed into the user’s physical environment. Whilst the Quest Pro laid the groundwork with colour passthrough, only the Quest 3 is capable of using its depth sensors to extract a mesh that reflects the shape of the user’s environment and individual surroundings. This feature in ‘First Encounters’ gently transitions the boundaries between the player’s room and the virtual world, enriching the gaming journey and creating a truly immersive experience.

Working with the capabilities of the Quest 3, we were able to design assets and visual effects that took into account various challenges, including the need for seamless integration, device optimisation, and the complexity of creating interactive effects that respond to and integrate with real-world conditions.

The results

Vast audiences have already been able to experience the future of mixed reality with ‘First Encounters’. The game successfully demonstrates the amazing capabilities of the Quest 3 headset and has been met with rave reviews from early users and industry press:

‘Quest 3’s First Encounters Will Make You Believe In Mixed Reality‘ – The Gamer

‘The single most fun MR experience I’ve had so far is First Encounters.’ – The Verge