Astra

Astra is a travel and exploration app from Atlas V, Albyon, published by Astrea, that turns your room into a spaceship using mixed reality. It is a story-led journey through the solar system, and it came to the Meta Horizon Store on April 25, 2024.

What you can do

You follow the research of your mother, an astrobiologist who has died, and travel to planets and their dark moons looking for signs of life. Alongside that search, the story is about coming to terms with loss and grief. The developer describes it as a mix of storytelling, interactive design and cinematic scenes.

• Visit landscapes on Jupiter, Titan, Europa and other worlds without leaving your room.
• Analyze the chemical signature of planets and moons to find the key ingredient for life.
• Watch cinematic sequences between the interactive parts.

Eliza McNitt directed Astra; she also made the VR piece Spheres. Actor Taylour Paige provides a voice, the producer is the studio behind Madrid Noir, and the project premiered at SXSW.

Comfort

Meta rates it as comfortable for most people. It supports standing and room-scale play and works with controllers or hand tracking.

Platforms and what to know before buying

• Price: $9.99 on the Meta Horizon Store.
• Headsets: Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S, Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 2.
• Internet: not required.
• Ads: no in-app ads.
• Early access: no, it is a full release.
• Languages: English and French (France).
• Age rating: 3+.