Meta
- Horizon Worlds launched in 2021
- NBA and UFC had dedicated spaces on platform
- Mobile version will continue to compete with Roblox and others
Meta is shutting down its Horizon Worlds virtual reality (VR) social media network on June 15th.
Horizon Worlds launched in 2021 for the Meta Quest headset and was designed for gatherings, events, games and other digital experiences.
Several sports organisations signed up to create dedicated ‘worlds’ on the platform, including ESPN, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), hosting digital events and live streams.
However, the concept struggled to gain traction while headset adoption continued to remain sluggish. Estimates of monthly active users at its peak in 2022 range from 200,000 to 500,000, with some observers noting that daily active users had, at times, fallen below 1,000.
The mobile version of Horizon Worlds, however, will continue as Meta seeks to compete with Fortnite and Roblox. Both platforms have been hugely successful in attracting and retaining the attention of younger audiences and have also partnered with various rights holders in recent years.
“We are separating the two platforms so each can grow with greater focus, and the Horizon Worlds platform will become a mobile-only experience,” the company said when outlining the change. “This separation will extend across our ecosystem, including our mobile app.
Horizon Worlds will be removed from the Quest VR store in late March before ceasing operations in the summer.
SportsPro says…
The end of Horizon Worlds as a VR experience won’t mean much to many people given its meagre user base, but it does signify a major shift in thinking at Meta and how it deals with the sports industry.
Horizon Worlds was one of the company’s marquee metaverse projects and a core component of many of Meta’s sports partnerships since its launch. Back then, the company was so convinced that immersive digital environments would be the future of technology that it invested billions in metaverse and VR technologies and even rebranded from Facebook to be perceived as a pioneer in the space.
Fast forward five years and it’s clear that the future of digital engagement lies elsewhere. Immersive experiences are still on the agenda, but these are increasingly mobile and augmented reality (AR) based.
Meta’s deep pockets and vast reach across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp will ensure it remains as influential as ever. And, as the success of its Ray-Ban wearables suggests, it is poised to play a leading role once again.
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