Boneworks Developer Discusses Why Studios Aren’t Exclusively Focusing on PC VR

If you’re tuned into the VR buzz on social media, you’ve probably seen PC VR enthusiasts claiming that the key to VR’s success lies in rolling out more high-end PC VR content. But let’s unpack why major gaming studios hesitate to go all-in on such demanding specifications.

Recently, Brandon J Laatsch, the creative mind behind Boneworks and Bonelab, took to platform X (formerly known as Twitter) to share his insights. He posted an interesting thought experiment: “When you say PCVR, what minimum specs are you envisioning? Quest 3 already meets or even exceeds the CPU, RAM, GPU, and drive speeds of the 2016 PCVR minimum specs. Are you thinking way beyond that? If so, what should be our target in 2025?”

In a thread of tweets, Laatsch laid out a compelling case. He pointed out that developing a game specifically aimed at platforms like the Quest 3 and its successors, while excluding older models like Quest 2, could justify a budget tallying up to $10 million. But here’s the catch: breaking even would require the game to sell a hefty 416,000 copies at $40 each—a milestone “very few” VR titles actually reach.

Despite the recent pivot towards an open store model and the push for platforms like Horizon Worlds, the bulk of developers still rake in most of their revenue from Quest. Ignoring this platform would mean slashing down the game’s budget accordingly, resulting in a project that’s smaller in scope, scale, and visual fidelity. Laatsch aptly describes this as navigating “a challenging puzzle to maximize.”

Here’s the reality check: under 2% of Steam users strap on a VR headset monthly. Even after accounting for Chinese users, that statistic barely hits 3%, and it hasn’t budged much over the past few years. For VR games with high production values to pivot entirely towards PC VR without backing from platform giants like Valve, these numbers would need a dramatic uplift. A new Valve headset was expected to be a game-changer, but whispers of a steep $1200 price tag have left many potential users reevaluating their options.