Metanaut, the creative force behind the Rube Goldberg-inspired physics sandbox, Gadgeteer (2019), is gearing up to introduce an anthology of mesmerizing virtual and mixed reality experiences.
This upcoming release, known as Wonder, is heading to Quest 3 and Quest 3S and should be hitting the market within the next couple of months. Metanaut describes Wonder as a "perfect escape" from the chaos of everyday life. Initially teased in late 2021, Wonder will debut this Spring with three captivating experiences, with more planned to roll out after the initial launch:
- Ancient Ruins: Picture watching your familiar surroundings transform into a mysterious cave that’s dramatically enveloped by a black hole.
- Jellyfish Bloom: Dive into the magic of a deep-sea adventure where glowing jellyfish dance around and illuminate your surroundings.
- Parallel Worlds: Step into reality-bending portals that reveal alternate versions of your world, cloaked in ice, dots, and other intriguing transformations.
What stands out about Wonder is its development using "clever and advanced rendering techniques" aimed at pushing Quest 3’s capabilities, achieving photorealistic visuals with the aid of scanned room meshes. Plus, it’s designed for hand tracking only, so you can put those controllers aside.
Metanaut pairs this technical feat with stunning audio, expertly crafted by Ictus Audio, a music studio with the accolade of a John Lennon Songwriting Award.
Peter Kao, the founder of Metanaut, made a noteworthy observation: “The XR industry seems to have shifted from serving adults to kids, and from high-quality premium titles to free-to-play slop. With Wonder, we wanted to create a magical experience for an underserved audience—one who is older and wants to indulge in the highest audiovisual spectacle possible on the latest headsets.”
Wonder is now up for pre-order at an introductory price of $4, which is expected to rise as additional content becomes available post-launch. The pre-order is exclusively for Quest 3 and Quest 3S, and you can secure your copy now!
