Meta is shutting down Ready At Dawn

Meta has confirmed that it’s closing first-party development studio Ready At Dawn.

The California, US-based studio, which was founded in 2003 and acquired by Meta in 2020, previously suffered layoffs last year.

Speaking to Android Central, a Meta spokesperson told the publication that the cuts were made to ensure that the Reality Labs project stays within budget and that Oculus Studios can make a “better long-term impact” in VR development.

While it had already shifted its focus to VR development several years before being acquired by Meta, Ready at Dawn cut its teeth developing for PlayStation platforms.

Its credits include PSP games Daxter, God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta, while its last PlayStation exclusive was 2015’s PS4 title The Order: 1886. Since then, it has developed well received VR games including Lone Echo and Lone Echo 2.

Meta said that Ready at Dawn employees were being encouraged to apply elsewhere within Oculus Studios and that it wants to hold onto as many developers as possible.

It also claimed closing the studio wasn’t indicative of wider cuts to the number of first-party games on Quest and said it’s still committed to VR development.

Sony‘s VR headset, the PlayStation VR2, this week added PC compatibility. A PlayStation VR2 headset PC adapter is required. The adaptor was released on Wednesday and costs $59.99 / €59.99 / £49.99 at select retailers and PlayStation Direct.