Meta Shifts Focus to Mobile with Major Update for Horizon Worlds
Meta announced a significant update for its immersive virtual world, Horizon Worlds, on Thursday, signaling a departure from the metaverse. The tech giant stated that Horizon Worlds will now be “almost exclusively mobile,” with a clear separation from its Quest VR platform.
Meta’s Reality Labs division, responsible for VR and smart glasses development, has incurred losses of nearly $80 billion since 2020. The recent update to Horizon Worlds, along with other strategic moves, indicates a substantial reevaluation of Meta’s VR ambitions.
Last month, Meta reportedly laid off approximately 1,500 employees from its Reality Labs division, amounting to about 10% of the unit’s workforce, and closed down several VR game studios. Additionally, the VR fitness app Supernatural, acquired by Meta in 2023, will no longer produce new content and will transition into “maintenance mode.”
Originally launched in 2021 as a VR platform before expanding to the web and mobile, Horizon Worlds is now shifting its focus to be mobile-first in order to compete with platforms like Roblox and Fortnite.
Samantha Ryan, Reality Labs’ VP of content, emphasized the company’s strength in delivering synchronous social games at scale by leveraging its vast social network reach. She stated, “You saw this strategy start to unfold in 2025, and now, it’s our main focus.”
While the emphasis is now on mobile, Ryan clarified that Meta remains committed to VR hardware development, with plans for future VR headsets tailored to different audience segments as the market evolves.
Meta’s previous metaverse ambitions have taken a back seat to AI development. The company has shifted its investments in Reality Labs towards AI wearables and the advancement of AI models.
During Meta’s recent earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the company’s focus on AI glasses, predicting a future where most glasses incorporate AI technology. He also noted that sales of Meta’s glasses tripled in the last year, positioning them as one of the fastest-growing consumer electronics.
