THE WAY FORWARD FOR OUR QUEST 1 PLAYERS
Since launching Walkabout Mini Golf as a solo project in September of 2020, adding several platforms and nearly 20 courses along the way (so far), our goal has been to make the game as fun and accessible for as many players as possible. That's why we've continued to devote resources to keeping it playable for Quest 1 for as long as we technically were allowed. However, we must now address an important update that will affect our Quest 1 community. The short version is we'll be forced to impose some limitations based on requirements to upgrade for any forthcoming hardware, but we want to share our plan so that you have ways to play. Read on for details.
What's Happening?
With the recent release of the Meta Oculus SDK (v51), we find ourselves faced with a challenging update. This updated software brings exciting new features and improved hardware support, but unfortunately, it is not compatible with Quest 1. As a result, in order to embrace these advancements and provide the best experience for our players, we will need to transition away from Quest 1 compatibility.
To ensure Quest 1 players can continue enjoying Walkabout Mini Golf, prior to the upgrade, we will create a "frozen" build of the game exclusively for Quest 1. This frozen version will allow Quest 1 users to download and play Walkabout Mini Golf. However, it is important to note that this build will not receive any further course or feature updates. While we will strive to provide occasional updates to this branch, we cannot guarantee their frequency or availability.
Our team is currently planning to make the frozen Quest 1 build available July 2023. Until then, Quest 1 players can continue enjoying their golfing adventures without disruption. However, after this sunset date, we cannot assure the functionality or availability of all features within the Quest 1 version. We are planning to keep multiplayer working on Quest 1 for as long as we can, but after November 2023 multiplayer functionality may be limited or non-functional due to versioning requirements for our multiplayer servers.
We understand that many of our players may have invested their time and effort into Walkabout Mini Golf on their Quest 1 devices. To ensure a seamless transition and continued progress, we offer the following steps:
Upgrading to Another Meta VR Headset:
If upgrading to a compatible Meta VR headset such as Rift, Quest 2, or Quest Pro. By logging in with the same account, your progress, including lost balls, putters, and courses, will be seamlessly transferred from our cloud save. This way, you can pick up where you left off and continue your Walkabout Mini Golf adventure on the new hardware.
VR-Compatible PC Option:
If you have a PC with VR compatibility, you can continue playing Walkabout Mini Golf with your Quest 1 using a link cable. Simply download the game from the Rift desktop app, connect your Quest 1, and enjoy the immersive golfing experience on your computer.
Switching to static build:
There will not be a way for non-Quest 1 players to switch to the static build.
Multiplayer between Q1 players on static build:
We anticipate Quest 1 players being able to still play multiplayer amongst themselves after switching to the static build.
We are immensely grateful for the support and enthusiasm of our Quest 1 players. While we must eventually transition away from Quest 1 compatibility due to technical limitations, we remain dedicated to providing an exceptional gaming experience. Our team will continue to explore new possibilities, courses, and features for other platforms, ensuring the future of Walkabout Mini Golf remains vibrant and exciting. Thank you for being part of our journey, and we hope to see you on the course soon!
Keep in mind, some of the answers to these questions are being determined still as these dates are far out in the future. We will try our best to support the Q1 as long as possible, but there's only so much we can do on our side before we're forced out.
*MEOW WOLF UPDATE:
With our Meow Wolf update, the game is no longer backward compatible and Quest 1 users will be locked to multiplayer with other Quest 1 devices only. We ask all of our users to verify that they have properly updated their game applications to the latest version to avoid game bugs [Vers. 4.7 / 21870].
You can join us on Discord where we have a dedicated support team of veteran moderators and Coconuts, or drop us a DM on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
All the best,
*Journey to the Center of the Earth is the final DLC for Quest 1 users*