Meta made it obvious that it thought virtual reality was the way of the future when it changed its name from Facebook in 2021. Platforms such as Horizon Worlds, which are closely linked to the Meta Quest environment, were positioned as the next step in online engagement.
Fast forward to today, and that vision is shifting.. Meta now focuses on mobile-first development according to Samantha Ryan who serves as VP of Content at Reality Labs. User expansion has led Horizon Worlds to become almost entirely a mobile platform. The number of mobile-only worlds increased from nonexistent to 2000 in 2025 while their monthly users experienced a growth rate above 400 percent.
Horizon Worlds and Quest VR will become separate products through the company reorganization. The VR platform will increase its support for third-party developers while mobile Horizon will introduce new features which include Horizon Studio and Horizon Engine together with monetization options that feature season passes.
Whether Meta can compete with platforms like Roblox and Fortnite remains to be seen.