Tag: #metaverse19 results
Meta is discontinuing its virtual reality social platform Horizon Worlds on Meta Quest devices in June. This decision forms part of Meta's strategy to streamline its operations and reduce focus on underperforming metaverse initiatives.
Meta Platforms is discontinuing Horizon Worlds, a virtual metaverse space for socializing and gaming on Quest VR headsets. Users will lose access to this key product. This represents the latest retreat from Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse vision.
Tech vendors are shifting focus to AI smart glasses, slowing VR headset momentum. Meta cut 10% of Reality Labs staff and refocused Quest on entertainment, while Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro struggles with demand. Shipments show VR declining to under 50,000 units in 2026.
Meta is pivoting its Horizon Worlds metaverse platform to focus almost exclusively on mobile, explicitly separating it from the Quest VR platform. This shift follows layoffs of 10% in Reality Labs, closure of three VR studios, halting new content for Supernatural, and discontinuing its work metaverse. The change positions Meta to compete better with Roblox and Fortnite.
Unity and Meta announced on April 8 an extension of their multi-year platform support and enterprise cooperation agreement. The move deepens their long-term collaboration in virtual reality experiences.
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth announced Horizon Worlds will stay available in VR for the foreseeable future. This reverses a prior metaverse shutdown plan. The service will operate with limited support.
Meta reverses its plan to shut down the VR version of Horizon Worlds on June 15th. Existing VR worlds remain accessible, and the app will stay downloadable for the foreseeable future. This responds to feedback from dedicated VR fans.
In 2021 amid pandemic, Meta rebranded from Facebook, upgraded Quest 2, launched higher-end Quest Pro, and acquired VR studio Within for $400M to own Supernatural fitness game. The company lost billions on VR despite hype. Less than five years later, metaverse vision faded, proving antitrust enforcer Lina Khan right.
Epic Games and Google have agreed on a new class of apps called 'metaverse browsers' in a revised binding term sheet revealed in documents. The deal accompanies their reconciliation over app store changes. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney continues advocating for metaverse concepts like Fortnite.