Meta has acquired Within, the VR developer behind Supernatural, in a move that will give Meta access to a range of new VR titles. The acquisition is significant as it signifies Meta’s commitment to the development and market uptake of VR content.
Even against the backdrop of Facebook-Yahoo!: A Clash of Titans, virtual reality firms are still struggling to defy Silicon Valley giants in an effort to obtain market share. In July, the FTG+ sued Meta Technologies, accusing it of unfairly attempting to purchase Within – creators of the VR fitness app Supernatural – claiming that this would be anti-competitive. After a trial in which head Zuckerberg testified, a judge ruled that Meta could go forward with the acquisition.
In the face of Meta’s dire financial straits, its Reality Labs division has been struggling to keep up with rivals in the AR and VR marketplace. The company has recently faced tough competition from Facebook’s Portal video game subsidiary and Huawei’s insistence on powering its own virtual reality headset. However, despite these setbacks, Meta CEO John Tam said that “Meta’s strategy remains unchanged” and he expects Reality Labs to bring in more revenue in 2020 than it did in 2019.
Supernatural is a long-running CW television show that follows the adventures of two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, who hunt supernatural beings such as demons, ghosts, and monsters. The Supernatural app has a cult following due to its immersive VR experience that allows subscribers to work out in the show’s fictional world. However, Meta has had a steep decline in revenue over the years and faces an uphill battle to reclaim its losses.
