Facebook Just Bought Beat Saber's Developer

Beat Saber has proven to be one of the bigger success stories in the virtual reality era of [...]

By Marc Deschamps

Beat Saber has proven to be one of the bigger success stories in the virtual reality era of gaming. Released in 2018 for Steam VR, Oculus and PSVR, the game seems like the perfect entry point for those skeptical about VR gaming. With its rhythm-based gameplay and a wealth of licensed music, it's easy to see why the game has won numerous awards, including VR Game of the Year at SXSW Gaming Awards. All that attention has certainly not gone unnoticed, as Facebook has announced a purchase of Beat Games, the developer of Beat Saber.

Fans of Beat Saber can rest easy, as Beat Games has stated they will continue to support the game across all platforms, meaning opposing platforms such as PSVR will continue to see DLC content. According to Facebook, Beat Games will join the company's Oculus studio, but will continue to operate from their offices in Prague. In a blog post announcing the purchase, Oculus Director of Content Mike Verdu left the door open for future acquisitions.

"We're exploring many ways to accelerate VR, and we think next year is going to be an incredible one of VR game launches and announcements. We are thrilled to have Beat Games join our team. This is just the beginning."

Facebook purchased Oculus in 2014 for the sum of $2.3 billion. As of this time, Facebook has not announced the cost of the deal to acquire Beat Games. While VR technology has come a long way in the five years since, it still remains a rather niche part of the industry. The high cost of entry and cumbersome setup have both proven to be stumbling blocks, but some gamers also find VR headsets to be nausea-inducing. If Facebook truly wants to make the technology more accessible, they'll need developers like Beat Games in order to do so.

Developer acquisitions and mergers have long been a part of the video game industry. The reality is that video game development is a fairly costly process, and many developers struggle to keep the lights on. With companies like Facebook, Google and possibly even Amazon entering the industry, it will be interesting to see if more developers are swallowed up as the tech giants try to compete with Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

Beat Saber currently retails for $29.99. Have you played the game yet? How do you feel about Facebook's acquisition of the developer? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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