Meta just announced a major strategy change for its metaverse plans. The company is pulling back from virtual reality (VR) and putting almost all its effort into mobile experiences.
In its 2026 Horizon update, Meta confirmed it’s separating its VR platform from Horizon Worlds and shifting the focus of Worlds to be almost exclusively mobile.
The goal is to let both platforms develop independently and help creators reach more people.
The direction is justified as the VR is no longer the main entry point to the metaverse, but phones are. Meta says it started testing mobile versions of Horizon Worlds last year and saw good results.
Now it’s committing fully, pointing to the opportunity to connect with billions of users across its social platforms.
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Mobile worlds grew from zero to over 2,000 experiences in one year. Mobile monthly users increased more than four times during the same period.
Meta Horizon Worlds Platform Updates
Meta says VR isn’t disappearing or going anywhere. The company still plans to invest heavily in VR hardware and remains one of the biggest supporters of the technology.
What’s changing is how Meta approaches VR development. Instead of building everything internally, Meta will now focus more on funding individual projects and supporting third-party creators.
This support includes education, case studies, consultations, and other resources that help developers understand VR audiences and grow their projects over time.
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Horizon Worlds is getting a complete redesign focused on mobile players. Meta originally positioned it as a flagship VR social platform. But now the priority is mobile, which puts Horizon Worlds in direct competition with massive social gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite instead of focusing only on getting people to buy headsets.
This shift comes after years of VR growth falling short of expectations and ongoing restructuring inside Meta’s Reality Labs division.
The company has been cutting costs and moving resources toward AI, wearables, and mobile experiences. The strategy makes sense when you look at the numbers. VR remains a niche market, while mobile gaming and social platforms reach billions of users globally. Moving Horizon Worlds to phones gives Meta immediate access to a much larger audience.
For creators, this means future metaverse experiences will be built for touchscreens instead of headsets. For users, the metaverse will feel less like a futuristic VR world and more like another social app on your phone. The metaverse VR is not disappearing; it just moved from your headset into your pocket.
