Meta’s VR metaverse is ditching VR
The new approach allows Meta to better compete with platforms like Roblox and Fortnitewhich also feature user-generated experiences that can be played on your phone. Horizon Worlds was initially launched for VR, but “to truly change the game and access a much larger market, we’re going mobile.”
“We are in a strong position to deliver synchronous social games at scale, thanks to our unique ability to connect these games with billions of people on the world’s largest social networks,” says Ryan. “You saw this strategy start to roll out in 2025, and now it’s our primary focus.”
When it comes to VR software, Ryan says Meta’s focus is on supporting third-party developers. “While we are proud of the world-class work Oculus Studios has done over the years, across 1P and 3P applications, 86% of the effective time people spend in their VR headsets is spent on third-party applications.”
But Meta still plans to make VR hardware; “We have a strong roadmap for future VR headsets that will be tailored to different audience segments as the market grows and matures,” according to Ryan. (This new hardware, which could include a new main Quest headset, could cost more.)
After the not-so-successful bet on the metaverse, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg now sees AI as the new social media, a vision that could include AI-generated games that users can share with others on their feeds. “There are 3D versions of this, and there are 2D versions of this and Horizon, I think, fits the kind of immersive 3D version of that very well,” Zuckerberg said during the company’s latest earnings call.
