Owlchemy Labs, known for churning out some of the most successful VR titles, made quite a splash when they introduced Dimensional Double Shift in beta form for free last year. This unexpected move from the creators of the beloved Job Simulator (2016) into the freemium model had many scratching their heads at first. However, with more than half a million downloads to date, it’s clear that the studio foresaw the opportunity: free-to-play on Quest, especially with the arrival of Quest 3S, has never been more profitable.
Much like the antics of Job Simulator and its follow-up Vacation Simulator (2019), Dimensional Double Shift pulls players into a whimsically odd universe. This time, however, the setting is a bustling combo of a garage and diner. Here, you and up to three other players repair cars and whip up delicacies for your alien clientele.
But there’s much more happening beneath the surface than just a multiplayer, freemium upgrade of Job Simulator. Dimensional Double Shift preserves that immersive, user-friendly gameplay which fans adore from Owlchemy Labs’ repertoire. Notably, it’s among the pioneering titles crafted specifically for hand-tracking, a feature evidently appealing to the younger demographic pouring in thanks to the Quest 3S—undoubtedly a key factor in the game’s success.
Younger gamers, by nature, tend to dive deep into social gaming. They’re less inclined toward shelling out for premium titles and more likely to spend on in-app purchases, which is propelling the boom in free-to-play models now.
Dimensional Double Shift reaching the 500,000-download mark mirrors a rising trend where both seasoned developers and indie studios try their luck with freemium games. It’s a market strategy aiming to mirror the whirlwind success of Another Axiom’s Gorilla Tag, which grossed over $100 million last summer.
As Samantha Ryan, Meta’s Metaverse Content chief, noted recently, “We are creating a platform centered around social interaction, tailored for these younger users who naturally gravitate towards multiplayer and social hangout apps. This pattern—significant on other platforms—is propelling free-to-play games. We’re also witnessing a surge in younger participants within Horizon Worlds.”
Meta is acutely aware that for Horizon Worlds to truly thrive, they need their own Gorilla Tag—ideally several. In pursuit of this, Meta unveiled a $50 million fund designed to incentivize the development of standout content within Horizon Worlds. The goal is to attract developers who might otherwise launch standalone apps, rewarding those who create worlds with high engagement, retention, and in-app purchase potential.
