Meta’s VR Battle Royale Has Fortnite-Like Stage-Building Tools

On Wednesday, all players can access the new Sandbox mode in One, Meta’s VR battle royale game, which enables users to create their levels with unique rules.

With the new feature, BigBox VR continues the trend of massively multiplayer games like Microsoft’s Minecraft and Epic Games‘ Fortnite by allowing players to create their 3D settings, but with Population: One, you can do it in virtual reality.

What’s New?

You can choose from a sizable selection of items and structures to surround your stage while building.

Additionally, several ways to manipulate these elements include scaling them up and down and moving them around.

I had never performed Population: One before my demo. As a relative newcomer to VR, I used to worry that the available tools would overpower me.

However, it only took me a few minutes to get the hang of things. Soon, using the Quest 2’s controllers to lower things felt natural.

What’s More?

I found myself racing around to every corner of my test map to set things exactly where I needed them thanks to a Minecraft-like ability to fly while building. (Fortnite’s creative mode also aids with flying.)

I was shown around a map in space, and although I had a lot of fun placing big asteroids around, I wouldn’t want anyone to play it.

However, several of the degrees created by early Sandbox testers appear to be far more intriguing to uncover.

I had the opportunity to explore a pond-themed map called Lily Pad, and I was pleased by how the author replicated both locations above and below the water’s surface.

Although the Quest 2 I used had poor visuals (everything was somewhat blocky), I still thought the design was lovely.

Digging Into More Details

This movie showcases Lily Pad and other top maps from a recent community competition, along with a fortress with big chess pieces and a sizable mini-golf course.

Adding the Sandbox mode gives Population: One player more way to enjoy the game. It also gives Meta, which purchased BigBox VR last year, another option for providing a virtual home for VR gamers to hang out in.

Although Population: One’s Sandbox features may be more appealing to some players, Horizon Worlds, Meta’s social VR software that is similar to Roblox, hasn’t been a major success so far.