Meta Adds Xbox Game Pass Starter to Horizon+ Subscription
Meta Platforms announced on Tuesday that it is officially adding the Xbox Game Pass starter edition to its Meta Horizon+ subscription service. This strategic move significantly expands its gaming offerings on Quest virtual reality headsets and deepens the ongoing partnership between Meta and Microsoft's Xbox division.
Subscribers to Meta Horizon+ will now gain access to more than 50 Xbox Game Pass titles. This new library sits alongside the existing catalog of over 100 native virtual reality games already available through the Horizon+ service.
Cloud Gaming and Gamepad Emulation
Through the Xbox Game Pass starter tier, Horizon+ customers will also receive 10 hours of cloud gaming per month. Featured titles currently available include massive traditional hits such as "Fallout 4", "Fallout 76", "Grounded", "DayZ", and "Overcooked 2".
To make these flat-screen games seamlessly playable in virtual reality, Meta is rolling out a gamepad emulator in the coming weeks. This software update will allow the native Quest Touch controllers to function exactly like a standard Xbox controller, removing the strict need to pair an external Bluetooth gamepad to enjoy cloud titles.
Market Context and Corporate Restructuring
This expansion of value comes shortly after hardware price adjustments. In April, Meta raised the U.S. prices for its Quest virtual reality headsets, citing higher memory chip and component costs across the supply chain.
Meanwhile, Microsoft announced earlier this month that it would cut approximately 3,200 jobs in its gaming division. This move is part of a broader corporate restructuring effort aimed at improving financial returns after years of heavy investment in the Xbox brand, which included its massive multi-billion-dollar acquisition of Activision Blizzard.