Meta Keeps 'Horizon Worlds' VR Alive, Shifts Focus to Mobile
Meta responds to community backlash by preserving Quest access while steering future ‘Horizon Worlds’ development to phones.
Summary
- Meta reversed its decision to completely shut down the virtual reality version of Horizon Worlds
- CTO Andrew Bosworth confirmed existing VR worlds will remain accessible on Quest headsets
- New development for the platform will still exclusively focus on the mobile application
Just days after declaring the death of its flagship VR playground, Meta is already walking back its plans to phase out the virtual reality version of Horizon Worlds by June 2026. The initial move was set to wipe the app from the Quest store entirely, pivoting the digital social hub into a strictly mobile-only experience. It signaled a massive, highly publicized pivot for Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse ambitions and the overarching strategy of the company’s Reality Labs division.
However, following immense community backlash, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth confirmed during an Instagram AMA that the VR iteration won’t be killed off after all. Bowing to the vocal pushback from dedicated Quest users, Bosworth noted that existing VR spaces will remain online and fully supported for fans to jump into. But while the plug isn’t being pulled entirely, the platform is effectively on life support—Meta has no plans to drop new games or major updates for the VR side, funneling all future development energy straight into the mobile version of Horizon Worlds.
