Meta created the Oculus Start Program to support independent developers in building applications for Meta Quest. The program offers technical resources, direct support from Meta engineers, hardware development kits, and an exclusive XR developer networking community. It’s designed to help those working on emerging projects overcome early barriers and accelerate the adoption of new immersive technologies.

Key benefits of the program include privileged access to technical documentation, direct feedback on projects, visibility within the Meta community, and hardware useful for testing and improving XR experiences. A real launchpad for those developing innovative content for Mixed Reality.

Metagate officially joined the Oculus Start Program in November 2024 with the MyPetXR project. The app, available on Meta Quest 3 since January 2025, introduces an interactive digital dog into the user's physical space. Users can pet the dog, throw a ball, and interact with it (soon also through voice commands and positive reinforcement). The goal is to create an immersive, educational, and accessible experience for all ages, leveraging artificial intelligence to build a bond between humans and the digital world.

Joining the Oculus Start Program has been a key opportunity for Metagate to integrate the latest XR technologies, improve app stability, and experiment with new interaction design features. The support provided by the Meta team helped refine the user experience, optimize performance, and lay the groundwork for future evolutions of MyPetXR, including new digital pets, puppies that grow over time, and increasingly natural voice integrations.

With MyPetXR, Metagate not only explores the potential of Mixed Reality on Meta Quest 3, but also reinforces its vision of a future where artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and physical interaction merge into engaging, useful, and sustainable experiences.