Mark Zuckerberg's Meta is making a dramatic shift, abandoning VR exclusivity for its flagship Horizon Worlds metaverse. Launched in 2021 as the centerpiece of Meta's $10 billion bet on virtual reality, the platform will now phase out its VR-only approach, signaling a major strategic pivot. The move comes as Meta grapples with sluggish adoption and mounting skepticism about the metaverse's viability.

The decision underscores Meta's growing emphasis on mobile accessibility, aiming to reach a broader audience beyond dedicated VR users. By shedding its VR-only roots, Horizon Worlds hopes to compete with more established platforms like Roblox and Fortnite. Critics argue the pivot is an admission of defeat, but Meta insists it's a necessary evolution to make the metaverse truly mainstream.