Newsletter
Plex has dropped support for its virtual reality (VR) apps on older VR platforms. Plex announced that it will no longer support the apps on Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR, and Oculus Go. While these VR platforms were groundbreaking when they were first released, they have since been outdated by newer VR headsets.
Google released Daydream in 2016, but support ended in 2019 as Google changed its focus. Samsung’s Gear VR was first released in 2014, but development ceased in 2019 as well. Oculus released its Go headset in 2018, but it was replaced by the Oculus Quest after two years.
“As part of our efforts to make sure we’re focusing our resources in ways that best serve our Plex community, we’ve decided to officially end support for our Google Daydream, Gear VR, and Oculus Go apps,” Plex wrote in an email to users.
Plex waves goodbye to VR platforms as a whole
If you’re not familiar with Plex, it’s a media streaming platform for organizing and watching personal collections of movies, TV shows, and music. You can also rent TV shows and movies through the app.
Plex said that low usage of the apps on these legacy VR platforms as a major factor for the decision. With better VR headsets now available, the user base for the older Daydream, Gear VR, and Oculus Go decreased over time. Additionally, as the manufacturers move on to newer products, continuing support for the aging platforms is no longer feasible long term.
The apps will continue to work for now. However, Plex warns they may stop working eventually without ongoing support and updates. Any future changes to the Plex media server could potentially cause compatibility issues or prevent the apps from launching altogether on outdated VR systems.
The move suggests that Plex does not consider legacy VR a development priority going forward. The company has also yet to create apps for the Quest and Quest 2 headsets.