Game engine creator Unity has upset many gamers and game developers with its latest move. The move could have widespread repercussions for the gaming world and could even cripple many good VR headsets, especially the upcoming Apple Vision Pro.

On September 12, Unity announced that it will begin charging a "Runtime Fee". This installation fee will apply to all games that have sold $200,000 or more between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023.

This installation fee is particularly bad news for virtual reality, as it will require the game developer to pay a fee of $200,000 or more for every game sold between January 1 and December 31, 2023. Many of the best VR games, including my personal favorite "Superhot VR," use Unity, and this move may force VR developers to switch to a new engine, delist popular VR games, or even exit VR gaming altogether. This is especially true because these fees could eventually be applied to pirated copies of games and review copies, in addition to the number of units sold.

However, no VR headset may be more affected by this change than the Apple Vision Pro. That's because Apple relies on a tool called PolySpatial to develop and port games to the new headset; when PolySpatial was announced, we said it could "immediately provide Apple with a vast library." And on paper, it certainly seemed that way, as PolySpatial will allow developers to create and port both immersive 3D games and windowed 2D games on visionOS. For developers who want to get into new VR headsets as soon as possible, PolySpatial should have been a gift.

Now, PolySpatial could be the anchor that weighs down Apple's first VR headset, rather than the proverbial life raft that ensures the new headset will come with a vast VR game library. using PolySpatial, Similar installation fees could apply to games not developed with the Unity engine, and even if they don't, developers are fleeing Unity in droves, and even if they miss out on Apple's first headset, they won't be back.

Unity's announcement caused quite a stir, especially on Twitter (X), and VR game developers have already spoken out, with Ryan Ingle of GOLF+, a game that was at one point bundled with Meta Quest 2, being one of several who expressed displeasure and outrage over Unity's new fees He was one of the VR developers (h/t UploadVR).

But beyond VR games, Unity is also commonly used by indie and mobile game developers. These developers are not the large developers who charge $60-$70 per copy of their games.

Our friends at GamesRadar interviewed 10 game developers after the announcement, and they were unanimous in their disdain for the move, citing concerns about the financial risk; Massive Monster, developer of Cult of the Lamb, announced that it would delist its popular indie game on January 1 to avoid incurring installation fees.

Unity, for its part, tweeted that "over 90% of our customers will not be affected by this change." But even if that is true, the damage may already be done. If so, VR gaming may become dysfunctional.

Hopefully, cooler heads will finally prevail and Unity will retract its decision soon. The company has already been forced to close its offices after receiving credible death threats, and this is clearly a gross overreaction, despite the fact that Unity's installation fees could put some studios in financial jeopardy.