We've Been Downgraded!

Welcome back everyone!

Virtual Reality enthusiasts know the grandiose impact the Oculus Quest has had on the VR market, even when compared to its PCVR counterparts. The utility, versatility, and untethered experience has captivated developers and gamer's alike while simultaneously pulling in a new crowd of users that have often disregarded VR, considering it an expensive fad for the hardcore gamer. Although the Quest had made experimenting with VR more affordable and easy to use, some glaring issues continue to hold the Quest back including old hardware (a significantly older version of the Snapdragon processor), less than impressive graphics, uncomfortable balancing in the structural design, and a store that is highly restrictive in what it allows and offers. Despite these flaws, the Quest has seen substantial growth in its short lifespan and grossed enough profit to develop a presumed 'Quest 2.'

Because of its popularity, developers of PCVR titles have shifted some of their efforts to porting their existing titles to the Quest to not only expand their marketing opportunities, but to take advantage of the profit to be had by riding the coattails of the Quest's success. Some titles have successfully ported over while others, such as Crisis VRigade, have not and for unknown reasons (relevant article here). Those developers who are successful in porting their titles have seen substantial growth in revenue making the arduous process well worth it. More recently, Downpour Interactive, the developers of the realistic tactical first-person VR shooter 'Onward,' have made headlines for fulfilling their long-time promise of porting the popular title to Quest. However, the headlines are not flattering: "Onward’s PC Downgrade Is An Ugly, If Necessary, Transition Point For The VR Industry" and "Onward Just Received A Massive Downgrade." Despite the positive response by the Quest community, ratings on steams have shifted from "Very Positive" to "Mixed;" steam users can appreciate the implications of this rating change. This is in response to the June 30th, 2020 v1.8 update which geometrically aligned maps in both Quest and PC versions for cross-play (some changes in the update can be found within the developer blog here).

Players on the Quest will not experience the impact of the significant changes to the Onward v1.8 update, but PC users and long time fans have taken to Reddit, Twitter, and Discord in outrage. As you can see from the blogs image, Downpour had to not only change geometry within the maps to make cross-play viable, but they had to significantly reduce graphic quality to an unflattering degree. Removing some assets in each map was an obvious necessity, but the resolution and graphical downgrade were unexpected and markedly noticeable. Furthermore, there was no statement made to suggest such a drop in quality was necessary, hence the rapid and harsh feedback upon release. Fortunately, Downpour entertainment has since responded to the criticism and afforded PC players to revert back to v1.7 for the time being if they chose. Also, patch 1.8.1 was released on August 3rd, 2020 to fix various update bugs including LOD popping and broken assets. Arguably this would improve some of the graphical fidelity, but not enough to satisfy some of the harsher critics (read the Upload VR article here).

I do not know where you readers stand on the importance of graphics, but I for one am more concerned with the games performance. I have played many titles that genuinely look beautiful but are mechanically broken or lack depth, ultimately ruining the experience for me or decreasing the likelihood I would return to the game. Experiences that immerse me into the world and/or story keep me coming back and wanting more. Onward does this by providing an intense and immerse experience that feels different each time I gear up. To become adept in gunfights, one has to make it a point to traverse each map in search for the best locations to camp, practice reloading faster, and practice throwing grenades with pinpoint accuracy (a skill in which I am still a novice) all the while remaining vigilant because of the short time-to-kill and friendly fire. These mechanics and the degree to which they challenge a player are what make the game addicting; the graphics cannot give the player this sensation. I am not arguing that visuals lack importance, but what I am arguing is that they are less relevant to the overall experience.

To the outrage of PC players, I can sympathize. After years of seeing the game improve (the game is still in early access), it is disheartening to see such regression. I am sure to loyal players this change feels like an insult or a disregard to those devoted to the titles growth, but let us look at the bigger picture. With the expansion onto a new platform and the addition of cross-play, player base will be larger meaning more profit; with more profit comes more updates, ultimately resulting in a better overall experience for everyone. The intentions of Downpour Interactive are clear as evidence by the 1.8.1 patch and no one expects this to stop anytime soon. It is my opinion that the move to Quest was a logical one by business standards, and appropriate for the longevity and health of the development team. The investment is worth the sacrifices made if it means more people are purchasing and enjoying the product, as improvements to the experience can always be made over time. As they have proven over the years, Downpour has no intention of letting their title fail and are devoted to providing players

the best tactical experience in VR.

I am curious to know what your thoughts are on the matter: Are downgrades a good thing if it means creating more opportunities for growth? Let me know in the comments below. Thank you for reading everyone, and I will see you in the next blog!