The Meta Horizon Start Developer Competition 2025 will award new Quest apps and “significant” updates a total of $1.5 million in 32 prizes of up to $100,000.

Meta Horizon Start, originally called Oculus Start years ago, is a program run by Meta that gives VR/MR developers direct access to Meta developer relations staff as well as a community Discord and “exclusive Meta events, advanced technical education, community mentorship, software credits, go-to-market guidance, and more”.

Now, Meta is running a competition for Horizon Start Program developers to build or significantly update Quest apps across entertainment, “lifestyle”, and gaming. Here’s the list of the main awards and prizes:

• Best Entertainment Experience: “An experience that makes consuming or watching content more immersive, interactive, and innovative than traditional formats.”
  • $100,000 winner
  • $60,000 runner-up
  • $30,000 honorable mention
• Best Lifestyle Experience: “An experience that enhances peoples’ daily lives, how they get things done, learn new skills, or connect with others around shared interests.”
  • $100,000 winner
  • $60,000 runner-up
  • $30,000 honorable mention
• Best Social Game: “A game that connects people in real time to play together online or in a colocated space.”
  • $100,000 winner
  • $60,000 runner-up
  • $30,000 honorable mention
• Best Casual Game: “A game that is accessible, single-player, and designed for quick, engaging fun.”
  • $100,000 winner
  • $60,000 runner-up
  • $30,000 honorable mention
• Judge’s Choice: “This award is given to experiences that push the boundaries of what’s possible and have created something truly unique and innovative.”
  • $30,000 each for 6 winners

Additionally, there are eight “special awards” for implementing specific features or using specific SDKs and toolkits:

• Best Implementation of Hand Interactions
  • $50,000 each for 3 winners
• Best Use of Passthrough Camera Access with AI
  • $50,000 each for 3 winners
• Best Immersive Experience Built with Spatial SDK
  • $50,000 each for 2 winners
• Best Immersive Experience Built with Immersive Web SDK
  • $30,000 each for 2 winners
• Best Android App Leveraging Features Unique to Meta Quest
  • $25,000 winner
• Best Android Utility App
  • $25,000 winner
• Best Android App for Travel Mode
  • $25,000 winner
• Best Experience Built with React Native
  • $25,000 winner

Entries can be entirely new projects or “significant” updates for an existing Quest app, with Meta citing adding hand tracking support, mixed reality, or multiplayer as examples of “significant”. Essentially, for an update to enter it will need to bring a new modality.

The new competition comes late in a year where Meta has awarded the creators of smartphone-focused Horizon Worlds a total of $3.5 million across three competitions, and may allay some concerns that the company is only focused on Horizon Worlds with no further interest in apps.

The deadline for submitting a project for consideration is December 9, and interested developers can enter the competition at this URL. If you’re not already a Meta Horizon Start member, you’ll need to apply first.