Meta shifts Horizon Worlds metaverse platform to mobile

Meta shifts Horizon Worlds to mobile

Meta is making a major strategic pivot for its Horizon Worlds metaverse platform. The company announced it is separating the platform from its VR efforts and shifting its focus to be "almost exclusively mobile."

The change was outlined by Reality Labs VP of content Samantha Ryan in a blog post. This move positions Horizon Worlds to compete directly with mobile-centric platforms like Roblox and Fortnite.

A retreat from VR-first social

Horizon Worlds originally launched as a VR-first social experience. Meta is now explicitly separating its Quest VR platform from the Worlds platform.

"To truly change the game and tap into a much larger market, we’re going all-in on mobile," Ryan wrote. The company believes its strength lies in connecting games to its billions of social network users.

This shift follows a series of cuts and closures within Meta's Reality Labs division. Recent actions include:

• Laying off about 10 percent of Reality Labs staff.
• Closing three VR game studios.
• Stopping new content for the VR fitness app Supernatural.
• Discontinuing its metaverse-for-work product.

VR focus shifts to hardware and third-party apps

Meta is not abandoning VR hardware. Ryan stated the company has a "robust roadmap of future VR headsets" tailored for different audiences.

However, its first-party software strategy for VR is changing. The company will now focus on supporting third-party developers.

Ryan noted that 86 percent of the time people spend in VR headsets is with third-party apps, not Meta's own Oculus Studios titles. This data informed the decision to step back from first-party VR social worlds.

AI becomes the new central bet

The Horizon Worlds pivot aligns with a broader strategic shift under CEO Mark Zuckerberg. After its costly metaverse bet, Meta is now positioning AI as the future of social media.

On a recent earnings call, Zuckerberg suggested AI-generated games could be shared on social feeds. He indicated Horizon could fit as an "immersive 3D version" of that vision.

Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth discussed this strategic reorientation on a recent podcast, confirming the company's changing priorities. The mobile-focused Horizon Worlds is now a key part of Meta's plan to leverage its existing social graph at a much larger scale.