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Meta Reverses VR Metaverse Shutdown Plans
19 Mar
Summary
- Meta will keep VR Horizon Worlds available for existing users.
- The company is shifting its primary focus to the mobile version.
- Meta CTO explained the metaverse extends beyond VR to AR.
Meta has decided to keep its VR version of Horizon Worlds accessible, contrary to earlier plans to shut it down on June 15th. This reversal comes after user feedback, with the company stating the VR experiences will be available for the "foreseeable future." However, Meta will not be developing new VR content for the platform. Instead, the company is prioritizing the mobile version of Horizon Worlds, citing it as the current hub for consumer and creator activity.
Meta's Reality Labs division has faced challenges, leading to layoffs and the closure of VR studios. Despite these setbacks, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth reiterated a broader vision of the metaverse. He described it as encompassing not only VR and virtual spaces but also augmented reality (AR) and the overlay of digital elements onto the physical world. Bosworth illustrated this expansive view by comparing a person engrossed in their phone to being transported to a digital space, emphasizing that the metaverse, in its wide definition, already exists.
