Thursday, 7 August, 2025 UTC
Summary
Elysian is the first WebXR game on Quest's Meta Horizon Store, an example of how WebXR developers can leverage store discoverability.
0:00
/0:34
1×
Of course, what makes WebXR unique is that you don't need an app store. You can host WebXR experiences on the open web at your own cost, without the approval of any XR platform holder, and anyone can access your experience through their headset's web browser.
Elysian is an example of this. It's a fast-paced wave shooter game that runs on both flatscreen and VR via the web. You can access it on any browser at https://elysian.fun, and that isn't going away.
But since Connect 2024, Meta has also allowed WebXR experiences packaged as Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) to be distributed on Quest's app store, the Meta Horizon Store, for free using Google's Bubblewrap. And Elysian is now using this as a secondary distribution channel.
Since much of the core "engine" of WebXR is effectively inside the web browser, and Elysian is a graphically simple game, the "app" is a tiny 8MB download that installs almost instantly. This is a refreshing change compared to waiting for traditional store apps to download, and a notable advantage of WebXR. Though again, this is partially because the game is graphically simplistic.
Since June, WebXR apps on the Horizon Store have also been able to use in-app payments for near-frictionless monetization. Elysian is a fully free game, so doesn't use this, but in theory it could if the developer wanted to.
You can find Elysian at elysian.fun, or on the Meta Horizon Store.