Near Light
Near Light was a Brighton-based VR and AR game development studio founded in 2016 by Paul Mottram and Ben Hebb, acquired by nDreams in 2022, and closed in March 2026 as part of its parent's restructuring citing commercial challenges in the VR games market.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNew Brighton, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Near Light does
Near Light was a Brighton-based XR (VR and AR) game development studio founded in 2016 by Paul Mottram and Ben Hebb. The studio's core product surface was consumer VR games — most notably Shooty Fruity and Perfect, with the multiplayer title FRENZIES announced for Meta Quest and PSVR 2 as its lead upcoming release. Technically, Near Light operated as a games studio rather than a technology platform, leveraging standard VR development pipelines to build audience-driven titles for established VR storefronts. Its revenue model was one-time game license sales distributed through platform marketplaces (Meta Quest Store and PSVR 2), with no disclosed pricing, subscription tier, or enterprise channel.
In 2022 Near Light was acquired by nDreams, becoming an internal studio within what nDreams positioned as the world's biggest, most experienced VR games publisher. The studio's founders retained roles and continued shipping against nDreams' portfolio strategy, but its operating economics became wholly subordinate to nDreams' corporate decisions. On March 5, 2026, nDreams announced a wide-ranging restructuring citing "undeniable commercial challenges" in the VR games market; Near Light was closed alongside Compass, with 78 roles at risk across the two studios, and remaining VR capability was concentrated in the Elevation studio plus a lean XR R&D group. Near Light is therefore not an operating business — it is a closed former subsidiary of nDreams Limited (Farnborough, UK), with no current revenue, no disclosed financial history, and no independent go-to-market.
Near Light firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Near Light
- Legal name
- Near Light
- Website
- https://nearlight.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Closed
- Short description
- Near Light was a Brighton-based VR and AR game development studio founded in 2016 by Paul Mottram and Ben Hebb, acquired by nDreams in 2022, and closed in March 2026 as part of its parent's restructuring citing commercial challenges in the VR games market.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Near Light industry classification
Industry- Product category
- VR Gaming
- akta.pro primary industry
- VR/AR/XR Game Studios (MPAFAAAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- VR/AR Game Publishing & Distribution (MPAFABAK)
Keywords
Where Near Light is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Brighton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Near Light business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- VR Game Sales: Revenue from VR game development and publishing through platforms like Meta Quest and PSVR 2. Games include FRENZIES (announced for Meta Quest and PSVR 2), Shooty Fruity, and Perfect.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Near Light product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Near Light was a VR and AR (XR) game development studio that designed and built immersive gaming experiences for consumer VR platforms. The studio developed titles including Shooty Fruity, Perfect, and the upcoming multiplayer game FRENZIES, distributing them through VR platform marketplaces such as Meta Quest Store and PSVR 2 under the nDreams publishing umbrella.
Product overview
Near Light is a playful XR (VR and AR) game development studio that has been part of nDreams since 2022. The studio specializes in creating VR games, with a portfolio that includes FRENZIES (an upcoming multiplayer VR title for Meta Quest and PSVR 2), Shooty Fruity, and Perfect. The studio draws on 20 years of collaboration between co-founders Paul Mottram and Ben Hebb, who have worked on titles including EyeToy Play, SingStar, Zumba Fitness, and Guitar Hero. Near Light focuses on pioneering new ways to play in the fast-moving worlds of VR and AR gaming.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- FRENZIES An upcoming multiplayer VR game developed by Near Light and announced for Meta Quest and PSVR 2 platforms. Positioned as an audience-driven title within nDreams' portfolio of VR games.
- Shooty Fruity A VR game developed by Near Light, featuring gameplay that combines shooting mechanics with fruit-themed challenges in virtual reality. Published under the nDreams studio network.
- Perfect A VR game developed by Near Light and published under the nDreams studio network.
Companies that use Near Light
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Near Light technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Near Light partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- nDreamscoreNear Light has been an nDreams studio since 2022, forming an important part of the world's biggest, most experienced VR games publisher. nDreams acquired Near Light in 2022. Near Light operated as a subsidiary studio contributing to nDreams' VR game portfolio.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Near Light competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fast Travel Games: Fast Travel Games is a Stockholm-based VR game studio (Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife, Cities VR) of similar size and focus, directly comparable as an indie consumer VR games developer.
- Resolution Games: Resolution Games is a Stockholm-based VR/AR game studio (Demeo, Angry Birds VR, Cook-Out) of comparable size and focus, directly competing in the same audience-driven consumer VR games category as Near Light on Meta Quest and PSVR 2.
- Owlchemy Labs: Owlchemy Labs is a US-based VR game studio (Vacation Simulator, Job Simulator) acquired by Google, directly comparable as a VR-native consumer games developer targeting Meta Quest and other platforms.
- Vertigo Games: Vertigo Games is a Netherlands-based VR publisher and developer (Arizona Sunshine, After the Fall), directly comparable as a vertically integrated VR games studio and publisher.
- Beat Games: Beat Games is a Prague-based VR game studio best known for Beat Saber, one of the most successful consumer VR titles on Meta Quest and PSVR 2, making it a directly comparable VR-native game studio of similar indie scale.
- Survios: Survios is a Los Angeles-based VR game studio (Creed: Rise to Glory, Onward, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners), directly comparable as a VR-native publisher-developer operating across Meta Quest and PSVR.
- Stress Level Zero: Stress Level Zero is a US-based indie VR studio (Bonelab, Half-Life: Alyx contributor) operating as a small, VR-focused developer, comparable in scale and category to Near Light.
- Schell Games: Schell Games is a US-based independent game studio with a substantial VR/AR portfolio (I Expect You To Die, Until You Fall), making it a directly comparable mid-sized VR-focused game studio.
- Boneloaf: Boneloaf is a UK-based VR game studio (Golf+, VR Skater) comparable in geographic origin and as a small VR-native consumer games developer.
Broad incumbents
- nDreams: nDreams is the parent company and one of the largest independent VR games publishers (Phantom: Covert Ops, Far Cry VR), operating a broader portfolio of VR titles and internal studios than Near Light's focused output.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Near Light social profiles
Digital presenceNear Light financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Near Light leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Near Light funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Near Light 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 Near Light
What does Near Light do?
Near Light was a VR and AR (XR) game development studio that designed and built immersive gaming experiences for consumer VR platforms. The studio developed titles including Shooty Fruity, Perfect, and the upcoming multiplayer game FRENZIES, distributing them through VR platform marketplaces such as Meta Quest Store and PSVR 2 under the nDreams publishing umbrella.
Is Near Light a public or private company?
Near Light is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently closed.
When was Near Light founded?
Near Light was founded in 2016.
Where is Near Light based?
Near Light is headquartered in New Brighton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Near Light make money?
One revenue line is on record: VR Game Sales.
Who are Near Light's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fast Travel Games, Resolution Games, Owlchemy Labs, Vertigo Games, Beat Games, Survios, Stress Level Zero, Schell Games and Boneloaf. nDreams is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Near Light have an API?
No public API is recorded for Near Light.
What industry is Near Light in?
Near Light's product category is VR Gaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAE, VR/AR/XR Game Studios, with a secondary code of MPAFABAK, VR/AR Game Publishing & Distribution.