Virtual reality headsets are not only for games as they have also been used for health and wellness activities over the past years. Meta has capitalized on this for the Quest, but that is changing soon.
Notices were sent to users that Meta Quest's Move app will soon be shut down by the company, and its built-in fitness tracking app will no longer be available when April starts.
It was revealed by Meta's CTO, Andrew Bosworth, that it is simply because the Move app only has a small community of users that take advantage of the feature, and its low adoption rate is pushing the company to pull the plug.
Meta Quest's Move Fitness Tracking App Is Shutting Down
While health and wellness are sometimes overlooked on VR headsets, it is still one of the most famous experiences on the platform. However, Meta has recently confirmed that it is now shutting down the Move fitness tracking app, which it developed over the years, as it is not popular among users.
Once it hits April, users will no longer have access to the Meta Quest's Move app, which offers the built-in fitness tracking features of the headset. This app features monitoring for the hands, head, and other bodily movements, while also keeping tracked data logs of activities and basic user information.
The app has since given users insights as to how much calories they lost in their activities using Quest wearables, including other metrics that help provide extensive information on their fitness.
That being said, users who have been fond of the Move app has since questioned why Meta decided to sunset the app, particularly as it has been significantly helpful for those who are part of its small community.
Meta CTO Says Its Due to Low Adoption Rate
According to Meta's Chief Technology Officer, Andrew "Boz" Bosworth (via UploadVR), in his latest "Ask Me Anything" session, the company decided to sunset the feature because of its low adoption rate on the platform.
Bosworth also shared an apology for the users who will be affected by this change, acknowledging how it is a popular app for the small group of users enjoying its features.
Despite its niche popularity, Bosworth said that it still has a small community and is not that famous among other Quest users. While its userbase is loyal, it is not enough to maintain the app.
No More Built-in Fitness Tracking for Quest
Because of this, Meta Quest will no longer have a built-in fitness tracking app for its wearable headsets, and users will have to rely on third-party apps or platforms available on the Quest for their health and wellness experiences.
Moreover, it remains unclear if Meta will still develop another fitness-tracking app for the Quest in the future, especially after Move did not achieve wide adoption.
