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Meta should improve its Store to support more its developers
- Developers of virtual reality games are calling on Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, to improve its app store for VR games. The complaints are centred around the merging of App Lab, the app store for experimental games, and the Horizon Store, which houses full games for the Meta Quest headset. Some developers argue that the store’s systems for suggesting games and search functionalities are flawed, with low-quality content often being prioritised over more polished experiences.
- Another concern is about Meta’s promotion, through its advertising and suggestions, of Horizon Worlds, the company’s relatively new social VR platform, which games developers say can undermine sales and increase competition. They have called on Meta to improve its store or face losing developers from the VR ecosystem. There are also concerns around the 30% fee levied by Meta on all transactions taking place through the store.
- A reduction in this fee for a set timeframe, or sales below a certain threshold, has been suggested as a potential solution. Others believe that a larger overhaul of the store’s search algorithms and promotion systems is needed, alongside a public commitment to supporting small developers in the longer term.
- It is generally agreed that the promotion of indie developers and smaller teams is important for the ecosystem, since many successful VR games were developed by smaller studios. The current unhappiness among developers has raised concerns about authoritarian gatekeeping by large tech firms such as Meta and how smaller developers can survive with the existing landscape. It has also raised issues about discovery and ranking on app stores, particularly regarding low-quality content.
- The situation raises questions over corporate social responsibility and whether Meta is using its dominant position to prioritise its own products over third-party offerings. There are also calls for greater transparency around VR ecosystem metrics to enable better decision-making.
- Meta has responded to criticisms of the store, accepting that it can do better, and citing the growing popularity of the Quest 3S in bringing new customers to the VR platform. However, developers want concrete action taken, rather than vague commitments.
- Meta has previously argued that the store's 30% cut is necessary to keep the company's affordable hardware prices in place.
- The dispute highlights a wider issue in the tech industry over the power of app stores and the way they operate. As the market for VR games continues to grow, it is likely that companies such as Meta will face mounting pressure to take into account the needs and concerns of smaller developers.
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