Owlchemy Labs
Owlchemy Labs is a Google-owned Austin-based VR game studio developing accessible, hand-tracked VR games across Meta Quest, PlayStation VR, Steam, Apple Vision Pro, and Samsung Galaxy XR. The studio serves consumer VR gamers with a portfolio including two platinum-selling titles (Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator) and the free-to-play Dimensional Double Shift.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Owlchemy Labs does
Owlchemy Labs is an Austin, Texas-based VR game studio founded in 2010 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Google since its 2017 acquisition. The studio develops and publishes virtual reality games for consumer headsets across all major platforms, including Meta Quest, PlayStation VR, SteamVR, Apple Vision Pro, and Samsung Galaxy XR, and additionally licenses content to VR arcade operators through Steam and SpringboardVR.
The studio's core technology centers on proprietary hand-tracking systems (controller-free gameplay with grab thresholds, overgrab release, and invisible throw mechanics), the OwlchemyVR mixed-reality capture suite, and an accessibility-first design framework following XR Association best practices. Its released titles include Job Simulator (2016), Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (2017), Vacation Simulator (2019), Cosmonious High (2022), and Dimensional Double Shift (2024). The catalog has produced two platinum-selling VR exclusive titles (Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator, each surpassing 1 million units sold) and an Emmy-nominated property, establishing Owlchemy as the first studio to hold multiple platinum VR exclusives. Leadership comprises CEO Andrew Eiche (Chief Executive Owl, since March 2023) and COO Sandra Marshall (Chief Operations Owl, since January 2024), supported by approximately 50 employees.
The business model combines one-time game purchases (typically $19.99-$29.99), paid DLC dimension packs at $4.99 (Dimensional Double Shift), freemium entry (Dimensional Double Shift base "Treeattle" dimension free forever), and commercial licensing to location-based entertainment operators. Revenue is generated through direct sales on platform app stores, where Owlchemy's go-to-market motion relies on multi-platform marketplace distribution, VR Games Showcase participation, GDC/SXSW/E3 events, and a developer blog/Discord community. The studio serves two customer segments: consumer VR gamers (primary) and VR arcade operators (secondary enterprise).
Owlchemy Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Owlchemy Labs
- Legal name
- Owlchemy Labs Inc.
- Website
- https://owlchemylabs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Owlchemy Labs is a Google-owned Austin-based VR game studio developing accessible, hand-tracked VR games across Meta Quest, PlayStation VR, Steam, Apple Vision Pro, and Samsung Galaxy XR. The studio serves consumer VR gamers with a portfolio including two platinum-selling titles (Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator) and the free-to-play Dimensional Double Shift.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Owlchemy Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Virtual Reality Games
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- VR/AR/XR Game Studios (MPAFAAAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Serious Games & Simulation Studios (Training, Defense, Enterprise) (MPAFAAAH)
Keywords
Where Owlchemy Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Owlchemy Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Game Sales: One-time purchase revenue from VR game titles sold through platform stores (Meta Quest, Steam, PlayStation VR, Apple Vision Pro)
- DLC and Expansion Packs: Paid downloadable content including dimension packs (Hexas $4.99, New Joysey $4.99) that expand gameplay environments and content
- Free-to-Play Base Game: Dimensional Double Shift base game free-to-play with first dimension Treeattle free forever, driving user acquisition for future paid content
- Location-Based Entertainment Licensing: Commercial licensing for VR arcades through Steam and SpringboardVR platforms
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Dimensional Double Shift Base - Free |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hexas Dimension Pack - $4.99 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | New Joysey DLC - $4.99 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Job Simulator on Apple Vision Pro - $19.99 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Vacation Simulator on Apple Vision Pro - $29.99 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Cosmonious High - $29.99 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Owlchemy Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Owlchemy Labs is a virtual reality game studio that designs, develops, and publishes polished VR games for major consumer headsets including Meta Quest, SteamVR, PlayStation VR, Apple Vision Pro, and Samsung Galaxy XR. The studio's core differentiators are its proprietary hand-tracking interaction system and VR accessibility features, applied across simulation and multiplayer VR titles such as Job Simulator, Vacation Simulator, Cosmonious High, and Dimensional Double Shift.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Job Simulator VR simulation game in which players perform comically simplified jobs in a whimsical world; one of the breakout VR launch titles and a platinum seller (1M+ units, $3M+ revenue by January 2017, 250M+ YouTube views). Available across Meta Quest, Steam/SteamVR, PlayStation VR, Apple Vision Pro, and Samsung Galaxy XR.
- Vacation Simulator VR vacation simulation sequel to Job Simulator, allowing players to experience and customize beach, forest, mountain, and cruise vacation activities with hand tracking. Reached platinum status (1M+ units) in November 2023 and is commercially licensed to VR arcades via SpringboardVR.
- Cosmonious High VR adventure game where players crash-land into an alien high school filled with interactive characters and quirky creatures, supporting 90fps on Meta Quest 3.
- Dimensional Double Shift Owlchemy's first hand-tracked cooperative multiplayer VR game with free-to-play base dimension Treeattle and paid DLC dimension packs (Hexas at $4.99, New Joysey at $4.99). Surpassed 1 million installs by February 2026, making it the studio's fastest-growing title.
- Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality VR adventure game based on the Rick and Morty franchise, developed in collaboration with Adult Swim Games. Emmy-nominated title.
- Inside[JOB] Exclusive VR onboarding experience released for the Samsung Galaxy XR headset to introduce new users to VR, leveraging Job Simulator IP.
Quantifiable outcome
- First studio with multiple platinum VR exclusive titles
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Owlchemy Labs
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Owlchemy Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
Owlchemy Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- MetacoreMeta provides the Meta Horizon Store platform for Owlchemy games. Dimensional Double Shift was featured at the VR Games Showcase March 2026, and Owlchemy participates in Meta's VR ecosystem with multiple titles including exclusive releases.
- Flat2VR StudiosminorCo-participants in VR Games Showcase March 2026, showcasing VR game announcements alongside Owlchemy Labs.
- Schell GamesminorCo-participants in VR Games Showcase March 2026 alongside Owlchemy Labs and other VR developers.
- Fast Travel GamesminorCo-participants in VR Games Showcase March 2026 alongside Owlchemy Labs and other VR developers.
- GooglecoreOwlchemy Labs is a Google-owned XR studio acquired in 2017. Google provides Android XR platform support, and Owlchemy released Inside Job exclusively for Samsung Galaxy XR running Android XR. The studio also released Inside[JOB] as an onboarding experience for the new Google headset.
- SamsungmajorOwlchemy Labs partnered with Samsung for Galaxy XR headset launch. Dimensional Double Shift, Job Simulator, Vacation Simulator, and Inside[JOB] are available on the Samsung Galaxy XR at launch. Inside Job is exclusive to Samsung Galaxy XR.
- UnitymajorUnity collaborated with Google and Samsung on Android XR support, enabling Owlchemy Labs' games to run on Galaxy XR and other Android XR devices. Unity 6 includes Android XR support for immersive experiences.
- SpringboardVRminorVR arcade distribution partnership for Vacation Simulator, allowing location-based entertainment operators to license the game through SpringboardVR platform.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Owlchemy Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Survios: LA-based VR studio behind Creed, Sprint Vector, and The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. Comparable as a VR-native studio with multi-title portfolio, location-based entertainment presence, and shipping across all major VR platforms.
- Vertigo Games: Rotterdam-based VR publisher-developer (Arizona Sunshine, After the Fall). Comparable as a multi-platform VR studio with both consumer games and location-based entertainment licensing, similar to Owlchemy's arcade distribution strategy.
- Schell Games: Pittsburgh-based VR and game studio (I Expect You To Die, Until You Fall). Comparable as a VR-specialized studio of similar size shipping premium, accessible VR titles across major headsets; participates in the same VR Games Showcase events.
- Beat Games: Prague-based VR game studio behind Beat Saber, acquired by Meta in 2019. Directly comparable as a VR-native studio shipping hit, accessible titles across multiple headset platforms and now operating as a platform-owned first-party developer similar to Owlchemy's Google-owned position.
- Resolution Games: Stockholm-based VR-focused game studio (Demeo, Angry Birds VR, Cook-Out). Comparable as a multi-platform VR-native studio shipping polished, social/multiplayer titles across Meta Quest, SteamVR, PSVR, and Apple Vision Pro.
- nDreams: UK-based VR-focused studio (Far Cry VR, Ghostbusters). Comparable as a VR-specialized publisher-developer with multi-platform reach and a portfolio of premium VR experiences across Meta, PSVR, and PCVR.
- Fast Travel Games: Stockholm-based VR-first studio (Wraith: The Oblivion, Cities VR, The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets). Comparable as a multi-platform VR studio releasing curated VR titles across Meta Quest, PSVR, and SteamVR.
- Polyarc: Bellevue-based VR studio behind Moss and Moss: Book II. Comparable as a premium VR studio of similar scale shipping critically acclaimed, accessible VR titles with multi-platform launches.
- Firesprite: Liverpool-based PlayStation-owned studio (The Persistence, Horizon Call of the Mountain). Comparable as a VR-specialized studio now operating inside a major platform holder, paralleling Owlchemy's position inside Google.
Emerging players
- Cortopia Studios: VR/AR content studio focused on hand-tracking and natural interactions for enterprise and consumer applications. Comparable as a smaller, hand-tracking-forward VR studio operating in adjacent immersive interaction niches.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Owlchemy Labs social profiles
Digital presenceOwlchemy Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Owlchemy Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Owlchemy Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Owlchemy Labs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Owlchemy Labs
What does Owlchemy Labs do?
Owlchemy Labs is a virtual reality game studio that designs, develops, and publishes polished VR games for major consumer headsets including Meta Quest, SteamVR, PlayStation VR, Apple Vision Pro, and Samsung Galaxy XR. The studio's core differentiators are its proprietary hand-tracking interaction system and VR accessibility features, applied across simulation and multiplayer VR titles such as Job Simulator, Vacation Simulator, Cosmonious High, and Dimensional Double Shift.
Is Owlchemy Labs a public or private company?
Owlchemy Labs is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Owlchemy Labs founded?
Owlchemy Labs was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Owlchemy Labs based?
Owlchemy Labs is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Owlchemy Labs make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are DLC and Expansion Packs, free-to-Play Base Game and location-Based Entertainment Licensing.
Who are Owlchemy Labs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Survios, Vertigo Games, Schell Games, Beat Games, Resolution Games, nDreams, Fast Travel Games, Polyarc and Firesprite. Cortopia Studios is listed as an emerging player.
Does Owlchemy Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Owlchemy Labs.
What industry is Owlchemy Labs in?
Owlchemy Labs's product category is Virtual Reality Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAE, VR/AR/XR Game Studios, with a secondary code of MPAFAAAH, Serious Games & Simulation Studios (Training, Defense, Enterprise). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7371.