Meta Scales Back Metaverse Investments, Terminates Quest Platform Horizon Worlds Project

Odaily News: Meta announced that starting June 15, users will no longer be able to build, publish, or update virtual reality worlds on Meta Quest headsets, nor access Meta Horizon Worlds through Quest headsets. This virtual world feature will continue to be available on the Meta Horizon mobile app.

A Meta spokesperson referenced a blog post from February this year, which mentioned the company is shifting the focus of Worlds to be "almost entirely mobile-first." Earlier in January, Meta had already cut approximately 1,000 positions from its Reality Labs division and closed some virtual reality gaming and content studios. Andrew Bosworth, head of Reality Labs and Chief Technology Officer, stated in a memo to employees that Meta will primarily focus on mobile experiences rather than immersive virtual worlds accessed via headsets.

This move marks a further retreat from the metaverse strategy previously championed by Mark Zuckerberg. Resources within Reality Labs have shifted from VR gaming towards wearable products that advance AI goals, including the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.