Quest games were somewhat overlooked at Meta Connect. However, the new Star Wars and D&D VR games sparked a sense of childlike wonder and creativity.
At Meta Connect 2025, Quest headsets were not the main focus. Zuckerberg directed attention towards smart glasses and indicated a pivot towards 3D media like Avatar in Meta’s VR strategy. Yet, during my time at Connect, just a few minutes of Star Wars podracing, Dungeons & Dragons skirmishes, and Deadpool action reminded me of the enchanting impact of VR gaming.
Experiencing the Meta Ray-Ban Displays and running alongside the Oakley Meta Vanguards was thrilling. It offers a different type of excitement, centered around convenience and merging technology with daily activities or fitness.
However, when I engaged with the demo for Star Wars: Beyond Victory, I was instantly taken back to my childhood memories of podracing on the N64 or playing with my small collection of Star Wars figurines. Additionally, the new Demeo x D&D VR game transported me back to my high school tabletop roleplaying days.
This serves as a reminder that, although the Quest 3 and Quest 3S may not be at the forefront or be Meta’s main concern, they continue to be as immersive and transformative as before.
Rekindling the imaginative thrill of Star Wars
ILM’s game has a somewhat generic title, but Beyond Victory is basically a blend of Podracing VR and Star Wars Action Figure VR. Each offered unique escapism to a distant galaxy.
The primary story mode places you in the podracing circuit under the guidance of Anakin’s former rival, Sebulba. However, it diverges from the expected first-person cockpit view for VR; instead, it adopts a top-down racing format requiring quick reactions to obstacles and power-ups appearing in the gameplay area.
Those fond of the N64 version might have preferred a first-person experience with cockpit immersion, akin to Squadrons. Instead, ILM opted for a playful tone reminiscent of driving Hot Wheels toy cars on motorized loop tracks.
I need to sharpen my reflexes to excel in the game, but I felt the same nostalgic thrill that emerged when I played podracing on the N64 or first viewed the film as a child.
Conversely, the Playset mode has a straightforward concept: what if you wanted to position a Stormtrooper in a Karate Kid stance, battling C-3PO wielding a lightsaber, or have a massive Darth Vader crushing tiny rebels? The answer is, you can, and I did!
It’s not “gameplay” in the conventional sense (though you can use weapons to “eliminate” figures). Beyond Victory’s Playset mode offers a sandbox limited by your creativity, ideally for the Gorilla Tag audience, yet still an enjoyable pastime for those young at heart, revisiting their imaginative play.
D&D, Deadpool, and the nostalgic memories
I had the opportunity to experience the Deadpool VR demo earlier this year and loved the creatively brutal combat, witty meta-dialogue, and striking comic-style visuals. I revisited it at Connect 2025, just to relive the intense youthful joy.
While gaming today, I often keep one eye on my phone or play a podcast in the background. I find it hard to devote hours to games or fully engage with a world, feeling anchored by real-life issues and the hustle.
But engaging in Deadpool and Batman: Arkham Shadow in VR brings a refreshing sensation of stepping into the pages of a comic book, roleplaying how these characters would act and battle. Games like these in VR still possess that unique ability to transport me elsewhere, reminiscent of earlier times.
I also enjoyed playing Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked with three others — exploring a tabletop setting and defeating enemies as a crafty rogue — for similar nostalgic reasons.
I once engaged in my fair share of tabletop RPGs (mainly D&D) and board games, but my friends gradually transitioned to lunches and bars when they struggled to devote hours to rolling dice and roleplaying.
Demeo isn’t intricate or driven by narrative like Baldur’s Gate 3. Instead, Resolution Games created a straightforward game that revives that feeling of hanging out with high school friends around a table during weekends, without being overly complicated.
The magic of VR gaming endures
After spending a brief time on the VR titles mentioned, Zuckerberg dedicated more time to discussing “3D storytelling,” the new Horizon TV app, and how VR films will attract a new generation of users to Quest. They even invited James Cameron to the stage to discuss his vision for 3D content.
This shift in priorities doesn’t surprise me: Meta’s Chris Pruett spoke at GDC 2025
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