What you need to know
- Little Planet channels the vibes of Animal Planet and The Little Prince into a cozy social life sim VR game on the Meta Quest platform.
- The game launches as a free-to-play title on October 30 after 2 years of early access with special rewards for people who have paid for the game.
- New multiplayer games, a virtual pet system, and more are being added as part of the launch.
It’s been more than five years since Animal Crossing: New Horizons debuted, and that means fans are salivating for a new title to scratch the itch of collecting and socializing. Thankfully, the developers of Little Planet heard the call and are launching what feels like Animal Crossing VR on the Meta Quest platform on October 30, 2025, for the crowd-pleasing price of free.
Just as in Animal Crossing, players start out making their own avatar, followed by selecting one of three islands to begin their journey on. Here, you’ll be harvesting resources, building houses, making friends, and collecting over 4,000 items to decorate your world with. You can also sculpt the land to bring your vision to life.
Unlike Animal Crossing, items in Little Planet are interactive. Place a piano down in your house and you can actually play music on it. Drop a basketball hoop down and shoot hoops with friends. You can even ride inflatables in the water! That’s one of my biggest complaints with the Animal Crossing series, and it’s been solved here.
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With the free-to-play launch version, Little Planet is debuting two huge new systems that transform the game: a virtual pet system, and a ton of new multiplayer features. Several different virtual pets can now be chosen from and will follow you around, begging for pets and treats. From abstract creatures to cute capybaras, the game likely has something you’ll love to keep around for the long haul.
The new multiplayer lobby also makes it simple to find people in game and make new friends, join in seasonal festivities, and play a ton of new multiplayer-focused games. This lobby is a central way to socialize in the game, something that’s not always easy to do in Animal Crossing.
I got to join the developers in the Halloween-themed area which, as you might imagine, changes regularly depending on the season or holiday. It’s yet another area where the game improves over the classic Animal Crossing formula.
The multiplayer games are a great way to change up the normal gameplay in fun ways, including a scavenger hunt, a giant maze, fishing contests, and more. As you might imagine, winning each of these games gives you in-game rewards that can be exchanged for items or special edition prizes that you can’t collect otherwise.
Since the game has been in paid early access for two years, existing players who paid for the game will be getting rewarded for their support. The developers call this the Founders Pack and it includes a full year of the “Little Planet Premium” subscription, exclusive items for your planet, and a unique founder’s hoodie and name tag that will never be available again.
If you haven’t jumped onboard yet, you can still grab Little Planet Early Access for $20 on October 29 and get the full Founders Pack. Otherwise, check out that same listing on October 30 and beyond for the free-to-play version. Happy collecting!
Grab the Meta Quest 3S for an amazing price and get tons of freebees this year, including great games like Little Planet that you can sink hours into anywhere you might find yourself this holiday season.
