Meta’s metaverse leaves virtual reality

Meta is significantly shifting its virtual reality (VR) strategy by moving its immersive virtual world, Horizon Worlds, away from the metaverse concept and focusing almost exclusively on mobile platforms. Originally launched in 2021 as a VR platform, Horizon Worlds will now prioritize mobile to reach a larger audience and compete with popular social gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite. This change reflects broader challenges within Meta’s Reality Labs division, which has lost nearly $80 billion since 2020 and recently underwent layoffs affecting about 10% of its staff and several VR game studios. Additionally, the VR fitness app Supernatural will cease producing new content and enter maintenance mode. Despite scaling back its metaverse ambitions, Meta remains committed to VR hardware development, with plans for future headsets tailored to different market segments as the industry matures. However, the company’s primary focus has shifted toward artificial intelligence (AI), investing in AI wearables and advancing its AI technologies. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the rapid growth of Meta’s smart glasses