Happy first birthday, Oculus Quest 2
A few years ago, as we were preparing to ship the OG Oculus Quest, we started working on a second-gen product that at that time was envisioned to help scale 6dof Virtual Reality experiences to a much larger audience. Little would we know how large that audience would grow to be. On the 13th of October, the first anniversary of Oculus Quest 2, I am thrilled with how far we have come and excited for the opportunity ahead. I am also super proud of the impact this product has had in our customer's lives and the incredible work a large cross-functional team did to make it happen.
2020 was a grind. No two ways about it. Even in a normal year, the Quest 2 was going to be a very ambitious product to ship. In a year unlike any other with all our employees working from home, it was just bonkers to build and ship a product at scale simultaneously in so many countries. It needed an insane level of coordination across time zones and across dozens of teams spanning engineering, product, program, marketing, sales, legal, design, comms, you name it. It also required close collaboration with dozens of developers and creative partners who were building new experiences on the device.
Today, we have a thriving ecosystem with compelling experiences ranging from beloved franchises like Star Wars (Tales from the Galaxy's Edge), Walking Dead and Jurassic World Aftermath to indie darlings like Thrill of the Fight and In Death Unchained to social hubs like VRChat and RecRoom to a variety of fitness apps like Supernatural, FitXR, and Beat Saber to VR-favorites like Superhot and Pistol Whip. There is something for everyone. When I jump into my Quest 2 everyday, there is always something new, something different. The latest to capture my imagination is "Song in the Smoke", a beautiful survival game from 17-bit. And this is before we talk about the two huge releases coming soon - Resident Evil 4 and Medal of Honor. I couldn't be more excited for our content slate for the Quest 2.
Almost all of us were locked down for much of last year and this year. VR has been a lifesaver in this time. I turned to VR fitness when my gym was closed and it has been such a helpful daily routine. To see the community that has come together around some of our games like In Death Unchained and Supernatural is a sheer joy. People are kind, helpful and so supportive. They want you to do well, they want you to succeed, they want you to be happy.
Bringing Oculus Quest 2 to market with such a fantastic team has been a singularly unforgettable experience in my life. To see it succeed and have the kind of impact it has had makes it so much more meaningful. I have much to be thankful for. Happy Birthday, Oculus Quest 2! May you scale to greater heights in the coming years.