Meta, a leading XR company…. you may know them as Facebook (haha), has just announced its acquisition of Within. They are the minds behind hit VR Fitness App Supernatural. This acquisition is a major step forward in Meta’s quest to establish VR as an ubiquitous technology across the globe.

How Meta and Within will Change the XR Landscape

Meta’s acquisition matters because Meta holds the keys to the kingdom for the Quest Store and App Lab. This acquisition is expected to take Meta’s XR offerings to new heights and revolutionize the way people experience the world around them, though some are cautious due to the unknown regarding how this might affect indie developers. I think that Meta’s prevailing in court to allow this purchase supports that Meta’s intention is not to box out the competition and indies.

What is Within?

Within is a company that creates immersive content experiences, most notable being Supernatural. Supernatural is a fitness app that allows users to get coaching and engage in an exciting, music driven, workout, customizable. They use a subscription model for the service. Biggest winner here, undoubtedly, is Within.

The Benefits of the Acquisition

The acquisition of Within will bring a number of benefits to Meta. Firstly, it gives Meta access to the Within team, who will help them create new and innovative XR experiences. Secondly, it will provide Meta with a larger pool of resources and a larger network of partners (as well as Meta providing partners for Supernatural as a service). This will allow them to bring immersive computing to more people. Finally, it will enable Meta to bring their XR technology to a wider range of industries and applications, including entertainment, education, and healthcare. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see a Spotify deal at some point between the two companies!

The Future of XR

With the acquisition of Within, Meta has taken a major step forward in their quest to change the way people do fitness. This is because Meta has the resources to bring Supernatural to more people. This acquisition is a testament to Meta’s commitment to innovation and their belief in the potential of XR technology.