Hello, dearest Readers, and welcome to the Moss and Moss: Book II update for the Quest 3 and Quest 3S! We're thrilled to be able to bring the world of Moss to life for the next generation of virtual reality. But first, let's talk about what brought us to this point and what you can expect in this free update.
When the Quest 3 launched in October 2023, we noticed an uptick in community requests to update Moss and Moss: Book II for this new generation. Your voices were not just heard but were the driving force behind this update. Our small team combed through thousands of reviews and social media comments, looking for stumbling blocks, bugs, and feedback. Two common themes began to emerge:
- Moss, in particular, was beginning to feel dated. As one reviewer bluntly stated, "a classic left to rot" (ouch). This was particularly apparent for players who had experienced Moss: Book II on PSVR2, PICO, or PCVR.
- Many players enjoyed Moss and Moss: Book II but desired a more relaxing, accessible experience. We know that every player enjoys games differently. Some of us love mind-bending puzzles that force you to re-think how you'd approach a problem. Others love the rush of combat and that feeling of victory when your strategic planning pays off. And for some, it's all about the story: immersing yourself in a world entirely unlike your own and being taken on a fantastical adventure that threatens to tear out your heart while promising to put it back together, more full than ever.
These themes served as our guiding light for this update, and with the impending release of the Quest 3S, we saw an opportunity to revisit our games and deliver an update that would elevate the experience on both headsets.
The first thing we knew we wanted to do was update the graphical fidelity of Moss and Moss: Book II. To do this, we leveraged the significant improvements to GPU performance, enhanced display resolution, and dynamic foveated rendering of the Quest 3 and Quest 3S. This allows us to render Moss at 150% of its original resolution, creating more detailed environments while delivering crisp, sharp visuals without sacrificing performance. For Quest 3 and 3S players, now is the best time to experience Moss and Moss: Book II.
The next piece of the puzzle was more challenging: How do we retain the experience of Quill's heroic journey while easing player friction to make both games more accessible to a broader audience? Comfort and accessibility has always been at the forefront of Polyarc's games. For instance, with the initial release of Moss, we were determined to make our games comfortable for players who had previously felt sick or uncomfortable in VR - a decision that lead us to choosing seated play and the diorama-esq experience. After many long conversations, we decided that players should be able to opt out of combat encounters. Love the challenge? No problem. Just here for the puzzles, story, or cute protagonist? That's okay, too. However you decide to play Moss and Moss: Book II is up to you. We've put a lot of thought and care into making sure you can play in a way that brings you the most comfort and joy.
No matter what kind of player you are, we're happy to have you. Thank you for sharing your love for Moss and Quill across social media, providing invaluable feedback, and helping us shape the next generation of games at Polyarc. Our team is dedicated to delivering the best possible gaming experiences, and we're excited to share them with you.
The Polyarc Team
FAQ
Q: What is included in the update?
A: We’re updating the Moss and Moss: Book II visuals to leverage the hardware capabilities of the Quest 3 and 3s, introducing a Skip Combat feature for those wanting a more relaxed gaming experience, and performing some bug fixes for quality of life.
- Major graphics upgrade from Moss’ Quest 1 release
- Water visuals (a popular fan request), contrast in colors, new high quality effects, a Quill drop shadow, animated book pages, shader improvements, and improved interaction visuals.
- Moss: Book II is receiving visual updates but not as impactful as Moss since Moss: Book II was developed for the Quest 2.
- Skip Combat
- Allows players to skip combat in both Moss and Moss: Book II.
- Quality of Life / Bug Fixes
Q: How much will the update cost?
A: There is no cost to players. The update will be rolled into the current build of the game for Quest 3 and Quest 3s players.
Q: Which headsets will receive the update?
A: The Meta Quest 3 and the Quest 3s.
Q: If I previously purchased Moss or Moss: Book II on the Quest 1 or 2, will I need to re-purchase the game to play it on the Quest 3 or 3s?
A: No. Moss and Moss: Book II are cross-purchased between all Meta Quest platforms. You will be prompted to download an update the next time you launch Moss or Moss: Book II.
Q: How do I move my saves from a Quest 2 to the Quest 3 or Quest 3S?
A: Make sure your Meta Cloud Sync is turned on. This is normally on by default, but can be turned on by following these instructions. Once you’ve performed a backup on your Quest 2 and then turn Cloud Sync on for your Quest 3 or 3s, you should be able to download the game and sync your save data.
Q: Will the update be coming to other platforms?
A: Skip Combat: We're really excited about making the joy of Moss and Moss: Book II accessible to all players. We're going to see how players react to the update on Quest 3 and 3s to determine if it's something we want to bring to other platforms.
A: Visual: We previously upgraded the visuals for PSVR2 and PICO, the headsets released since Moss launched. For players utilizing PCVR, they are already able to utilize the visual upgrades to Moss and Moss: Book II depending upon their PC hardware and graphic settings (chosen in the menu).
Q: How do I use Skip Combat?
A: Players can skip combat proactively, before the encounter begins. To do so:
- Open the Menu
- Select “Skip Combat”
- The following pop-up will appear: “Are you sure you want to skip this combat encounter?”
- You may now either select “Confirm” or “Back.”
The game will also prompt you if you’d like to skip the encounter if you have died more than three times. Players may choose whether to accept the combat skip or continue with the encounter.
Q: Will Skip Combat be available for both Moss and Moss: Book II?
A: Yes.
Q: How will achievements be affected?
A: Players that use the Skip Combat feature forgo the opportunity to achieve four achievements in Moss and three achievements in Moss: Book II. This means players utilizing Skip Combat will not be able Platinum either Moss or Moss: Book II.
Q: Will Moss or Moss: Book II be receiving any more updates in the future?
A: We’re always looking for ways to enhance the player’s experience when playing our games. If there’s a significant enough reason to push an update, we will.
