- Meta just announced that Horizon Worlds VR will close on June 15
- The platform will remain active for mobile device users.
- Fans have mixed feelings about the announcement.
Meta’s VR rollout is heading into phase two, as the company has revealed its timeline for the full shutdown of its Meta Horizon Worlds metaverse. At least the VR version.
In an email sent to Meta account holders, including this writer, Meta revealed that starting June 15, 2026, we will no longer be able to build, publish, or update virtual reality worlds. What’s more, we will not be able to access Meta Horizon Worlds using virtual reality headsets; instead, the spaces will be exclusive to the Meta Horizon mobile app.
That is, as long as they have been optimized for mobile devices.
Article continues below.
Additionally, starting March 31, Horizon Worlds and Events will no longer appear in the Quest Store, and Horizon Central, Events Arena, Kaiju, and Bobber Bay will no longer be available to enjoy in VR.
On the one hand, this movement is being applauded by many virtual reality fans. Horizon Worlds has never been overly popular, and its increasing prominence in Meta Quest feeds (pushing out third-party software that many would rather see) has been a major criticism among many.
As one Reddit user put it in a post about the announcement: “Does that mean those world things won’t be mixed into my games anymore? I see that as a win.” They are far from the only person with that mentality.
Good? maybe not
At the same time, I can’t help but agree with others who share this positivity but feel a pang of sadness, with comments like “I’m glad it’s gone, but I’m worried about what it means for Quest and VR in general” summarizing this sentiment succinctly.
To start, this is an important closure of virtual reality. While Horizon Worlds may not have been the most popular, it was an important platform from arguably the biggest company in the space: Meta, as their headsets make up the vast majority of those in the hands of VR users.
So this is a major shift in its approach to VR, and while Meta has said it’s still dedicated to the medium, it feels like the end of an era.
I’m also sorry for this title’s loyal base, people who would have spent hours creating their perfect VR hangout space and have now lost that job, as browsing on mobile just won’t be the same.
Maybe there are only dozens of such people, but if your favorite virtual reality software just shut down, you would be angry; While I’m not a fan, there will be plenty of people who loved Meta Horizon Worlds and seriously don’t want to see it go away.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and tiktok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
