VR Gaming is at a Crossroads: Here's what Comes Next

I sat down with Devin Reimer, co-founder of Astrobeam and former Owlchemy Labs co-founder, to talk candidly about where VR gaming stands today and what developers believe comes next. We discuss why Devin left Owlchemy to start Astrobeam, the importance of VR-native controls, and why the industry feels stuck in a holding pattern right now. Devin also shares his three-year outlook for VR, thoughts on Meta’s recent pullback, wearables, fitness-driven VR, and what developers often get wrong when designing immersive experiences. The conversation touches on Stellar Cafe, startup runway and sustainability, LLM-powered NPCs, ethical AI use in games, and what still gives developers reason to be optimistic about VR’s future. This is an honest, developer-focused discussion about VR’s growing pains, its missed opportunities, and what it will take for the medium to truly break through.