Credit: Meta
Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, announced a significant overhaul of its social VR platform, Horizon Worlds. Originally launched as a virtual reality space where users could create and explore 3D worlds, Horizon Worlds is now refocusing on mobile devices. The platform will abandon headset-based VR experiences and adopt a structure more similar to Roblox, focusing on accessible user-generated content playable on smartphones and tablets.
This decision, as reported by The Verge, follows a series of painful moves within the Reality Labs division. Meta laid off approximately 10% of its employees, closed three VR studios, stopped producing new content for the VR fitness app Supernatural, and shut down its metaverse for business purposes.
As Samantha Ryan, VP of Content at Reality Labs, explains in a corporate blog post, the new course means Meta will compete directly with platforms that offer user-created game worlds accessible directly from smartphones, such as Roblox, Fortnite, and others. As a reminder, Horizon Worlds was originally developed as a VR product, but the company has now decided to focus entirely on mobile audiences to reach a broader market.
This approach could allow Meta to compete in the social gaming market while continuing to explore VR innovations behind the scenes. The company’s long-term strategy for the metaverse may still include immersive experiences, but immediate growth is currently prioritized through mobile gaming.
