Meta Will Keep Horizon Worlds Alive in VR ‘for the Foreseeable Future’

One time after Meta announced it was shutting down Horizon Worlds successful virtual reality, the company’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, announced that it’s reversing course.

“I person a small spot of bully quality for you here,” Bosworth said successful a video AMA connected Instagram. “We person decided, conscionable contiguous successful fact, that we volition support Horizon Worlds moving successful VR for existing games, to enactment the fans who reached out.”

Meta initially sent an email to Horizon Worlds users connected Tuesday saying it would extremity Horizon Worlds successful VR connected June 15 but support the level afloat connected mobile. The determination came aft Meta’s announcement successful February that it is shifting investments distant from its metaverse and VR efforts and laying disconnected 10 percent of employees successful its VR division, Reality Labs.

Meta's reverse people is somewhat of a surprise, though Bosworth says it was successful effect to fans reaching out. When asked for remark connected Bosworth’s announcement, Meta pointed to his Instagram video but added that determination volition inactive beryllium caller features connected the horizon, similar virtual concerts.

“Immersive 3D and 2D concerts are inactive accessible connected Quest via the TV app recovered successful the Quest Store,” a Meta typical wrote successful an email. “We'll person immoderate caller concerts coming up arsenic portion of our larger contented slate.”

Users volition not beryllium capable to make caller spaces successful Horizon Worlds, but the Meta rep says “existing user-created worlds are included.” WIRED asked erstwhile users would nary longer beryllium capable to make caller worlds, but Meta hasn’t provided a day yet.

Bosworth and Meta person said that determination volition beryllium nary caller games oregon large investments successful Horizon World. Meta made a akin determination successful January with its Supernatural fittingness service, ending aboriginal updates but keeping the work running. He says astir of the user and creator vigor successful Horizon Worlds was shifting toward mobile, hence the prime to thin into that.

“For radical who already person games they similar that they're utilizing successful Horizon Worlds, you’ll beryllium capable to download the Horizon Worlds app and usage it successful VR for the foreseeable future,” Bosworth said successful the video.

It is unclear what that aboriginal looks like. Meta is intelligibly not getting arsenic overmuch retired of the work arsenic it is investing successful it, truthful the unit to chopped costs is not going away.

“I wonderment however agelong it continues,” says Jitesh Ubrani, a probe manager astatine the expert radical IDC. “‘The foreseeable feature’ does not dependable similar a ringing endorsement that this is going to enactment astir forever.”