Meta-owned developer Downpour Interactive announced it’s pulling Quest 1 support for Onward, the hit team-based mil-sim shooter.

First launched on PC VR headsets in Early Access back in 2016, Onward managed to garner a hardcore following over the years thanks to its realistic squad-based gameplay and unrelentingly faithful reproduction of real-world weaponry.

In mid-2020, Downpour decidedly slimmed down Onward across the board with its Early Access launch on Quest—just a few months before Meta launched the more powerful Quest 2. Its launch on the original Quest was met with some pretty intense backlash from the PC VR-playing community at the time, as Downpour significantly reduced the Onward’s graphics in addition to limiting community-generated content.

Now the developer, which was acquired by Meta in 2021, says it’s slated to drop support for Quest 1 on July 31st, 2023. In the studio’s FAQ, Downpour says Onward will no longer be playable on Quest 1 in any capacity after the July cut-off date.

The studio isn’t offering any special refund scheme outside of Meta’s standard policy, which allows you to return a game with less than two hours of gameplay time, and within 14 days after purchase.

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Onward however benefits from cross-buy, so owners can continue playing on Quest 1 through the Meta Store version, which requires a VR-ready PC to play, or on the still natively supported Quest 2 and Quest Pro headsets.

In comes as no real surprise that some developers are pulling the plug on Quest 1 support only three years after the headset’s launch. Meta announced earlier this month it was set to deprecate first-party social features on the original 2019 Quest in March, which includes access to Parties and Meta Horizon Home. From now until 2024, Meta will only push critical bug fixes and security patches.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 3,500 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • Dartbithe ✴️

    This is so triggering. Originally I had a V1 oculus headset and played onward via steam and had to rebuy it for the quest 1. Then all of a sudden the new quest comes out and they say it’s cross buy from the meta store… So not for me payed twice for it. After finally moving house I got a vr room set up where I can’t place the pc since its at the other side of the house for work. Gave the quest link a shot with PC but it’s unplayable since I can’t move my router since iam living as a student. So now I have two copies without the possibility. I have been loving it in the room and been playing for a month and now it’s going to go….

  • ViRGiN

    Who cares, outside young kids and grown ass adults cosplaying military while being submerged in 1990s graphics and calling it immersive?

    Onward has always been a shit show, and had zero values other than being in VR.

    But hey – before you guys get triggered about dropping support for a headset you don’t even own – Valve took them under their wings in 2016, and offered nothing more than pat on the back and yesterday pizza. That’s why they sided with Meta, and things have worked for them wonderfully ever since.

    No matter the public hate, they are still selling well, and have tons and tons of players.

    Onward even before Quest port was dogshit, and anyone who wants to argue – talk to the wall.

    But on a side note – Onward clearly had a skeleton crew supporting the title for the past few years. It does not make sense to work on this title anymore. I’m fully expecting they are working on another title, as Meta exclusive. I’m not holding my breath for the team, as they have consistently over promised and under delivered.

    Also, Pavlov Shack has dropped support long time ago but I don’t remember an article about it. Shack was promised by developer himself that it will launch on Quest store back in December 2019, with full Quest 1 support and free to play. None of that panned out, and after years of failures, clearly they focused attempting to get on PSVR2 and here we are – it’s a launch title.

  • Paul Bellino

    The Best Tactical VR shooter out there, that it from me. I am a real Officer, and you can use real world tactics with this VR title.

    • ViRGiN

      Tetris requires more tactics than Onward ever had.
      Oh, and Tetris blocks aren’t walking around cross-legged for years, with Goldeneye 64 death animations.

      • Ookami

        With your takes on military tactics, I think I’ll go with anyone else’s opinion. Especially if that someone else has actual knowledge.

        • ViRGiN

          With your takes on virtual desktop requiring very fast internet connection for local WiFi streaming, i wouldn’t trust you with cutting a tomato.

          • Ookami

            I never said that lol. Stop pulling claims from your nether regions.

          • Jonathan Winters III

            “nether regions” megalol! :)

    • Like falling asleep on duty ’cause you’re bored to tears with the POS graphics?

    • Ad

      All the war crimes are authentico

    • Ookami

      Breachers is a good vr tactical shooter. It’s currently in open alpha, but you can download it for free on their github page (links in the official Discord). Just tried it today, and I definitely recommend.

  • Sven Viking

    Understandable but ideally they’d hold off until Q3 releases and everyone can trade up.

    • ViRGiN

      This is the studio that opposed the idea of crossbuy for years, as the game came out initially in 2016, forcing everyone to rebuy it.

  • Ad

    This game was the most miserable example of facebook consuming something. They refused to make their game more palatable to a mass audience to preserve it’s authenticity, and then sold the whole thing to zuck. Now it’s mostly racist kids machine gunning each other across maps with no shadows.

  • JJD

    Glad to forcefully have to shelve the Quest 1 and everything related with it – hasn’t been anything else then doom and gloom since Oculus was taken over by FB. Oculus login abandoned, Facebook account compulsory, Facebook account switched to Meta account, now Quest 1 abandoned after 3 years… please !
    The Vive or Valve approach with the SteamVR platform stays at least consistent and reliable with a healthy progress in innovation. A live expectancy of 3 years in this category, even if it costs not more then $500, is these days no longer justified.

    • Jonathan Winters III

      I’d be pissed too. Same with the Rift S. I’m glad I didn’t buy those. Enjoying my Quest 2 greatly tho.

    • ViRGiN

      valve leading apologist right there

  • Jonathan Winters III

    And this is why I don’t buy software that requires an internet connection. Appalling.

  • Peter vasseur

    Quest junk, i wouldnt buy a dam thing that supports an evil company like Facebook.

  • Mike

    Not a bad thing if they can bump up the graphics, smoke, better animation (Ik legs and whatnot), let more players join those massive maps that feel empty. Heck, maybe even have civilians runninf for cover etc to bump up immersion. More horsepower and not catering to outdated hardware should give this new life, if they invest in adding features.