Meta is sunsetting its Horizon Worlds VR platform on Quest headsets by June 2026, moving the social metaverse experience exclusively to mobile devices.
Meta is making a major strategic pivot in its metaverse ambitions, announcing that Horizon Worlds will cease to exist as a VR experience on Quest headsets by mid-2026. The company is separating its VR and Horizon platforms to allow each to grow with greater focus, with Horizon Worlds becoming a mobile-only experience.
The timeline for this transition is clearly defined. By March 31, 2026, Horizon Worlds and Events will no longer appear in the Quest Store, and key VR destinations including Horizon Central, Events Arena, Kaiju, and Bobber Bay worlds will be removed from virtual reality access. Users will have until June 15, 2026, to visit their remaining favorite worlds in VR before the Horizon Worlds app is completely removed from Quest devices.
After this cutoff date, all Horizon Worlds content will only be accessible through the Meta Horizon mobile app, which has been optimized for touch-based interaction rather than immersive VR. This represents a significant retreat from Meta's original vision of creating a fully immersive social metaverse experience.
The changes extend beyond just the main Horizon Worlds app. Meta is also moving Hyperscape Capture functionality out of the Horizon Worlds ecosystem by March 24, 2026. While users will still be able to view existing Hyperscape captures in the dedicated Hyperscape Capture (Beta) app and companion Preview app, the ability to share, invite others, and co-experience Hyperscapes will be discontinued.
Meta Horizon Plus subscribers will see changes to their benefits as well. By March 31, 2026, Horizon-specific perks including Meta Credits, Digital Clothing, Avatars, and In-World Purchases will be removed from the subscription service. However, core gaming benefits and monthly games will remain unaffected.
This restructuring comes as Meta continues to invest in improving the core Quest experience with features like Surface Keyboard and Touchpad, customizable app and window positioning, and the rollout of Navigator, a modernized interface that's being deployed to more users.
The decision to abandon VR for Horizon Worlds suggests that Meta's ambitious metaverse vision has not gained the traction the company hoped for. By moving to mobile-only, Meta appears to be acknowledging that building a compelling social VR platform has proven more challenging than anticipated, while still maintaining a presence in the broader metaverse space through a more accessible mobile format.
For Quest users who invested time and creativity in building Horizon Worlds experiences, this transition represents the end of an era for VR-based social creation. The move also raises questions about Meta's long-term commitment to immersive social experiences and whether the company will continue to pursue similar VR social platforms in the future.
The original announcement can be found on Meta's Community Forums
Comments
Please log in or register to join the discussion