Meta's Metaverse Is Safe, at Least for Now

While the company had announced that it would be sunsetting the Horizon World experience, the in-house digital world for VR headsets, it has now backpedaled. Nonetheless, the experience is now being tailored to mobile platforms, where it has enjoyed more popularity.

Meta’s Is Saving Its Metaverse for VR Headsets, but Focusing on Mobile From Now On

Meta, the multi-billion-dollar company that once put all the eggs in the metaverse basket, is now focusing on transforming this experience for mobile platforms.

While Meta recently announced that Horizon Worlds, its signature metaverse experience, would not be available to users of its Quest line of virtual reality (VR) headsets starting March 31, the backlash made the company change its tune.

The announcement prompted negative reactions from VR users, who rejected this move, claiming that the mobile version of Horizon Worlds faced many issues and was unable to convey the metaverse’s immersive experience.

In a recent Instagram AMA, Meta CTO Andrew “Boz” Bosworth revealed that the company was backpedaling on its earlier decision and maintaining access to Horizon Worlds through VR headsets. “We have decided, just today in fact, we will keep Horizon Worlds working in VR for existing games,” he stated.

Nonetheless, he also stressed that no more games were planned for the Horizon platform on VR, as they pivoted to support mobile platforms first. Bosworth’s statements are consistent with what Reality Labs VP of Content Samantha Ryan explained in February, when she declared that Worlds was going “all in on mobile,” experiencing positive momentum in the space.

The actions follow a series of layoffs that affected some VR game developers, with most of the 1,500 workers belonging to Reality Labs, Meta’s metaverse division, in January.

Reality Labs has registered huge losses since its inception in 2020, accumulating more than $80 billion in total operating losses since 2020. In over 5 years of operation, the division has not reached profitability. Bosworth himself stated that the industry has not grown as quickly as they hoped, bringing the division to its current state.

FAQ

• Why did Meta reverse its decision to shut down Horizon Worlds in VR? The company opted to maintain VR access for existing games following intense user backlash over the planned March 31 closure.
• Will Meta continue creating new VR games for the platform? Meta confirmed that no new VR games are planned for Horizon Worlds as the company pivots to an all-mobile strategy.
• How has this strategic shift impacted Meta’s workforce? The transition follows the recent January dismissal of roughly 1,500 employees, primarily from the Reality Labs division.
• What financial factors drove Meta to restructure its metaverse approach? The Reality Labs division has failed to reach profitability, accumulating over $80 billion in operating losses since 2020 due to slower-than-anticipated industry growth.