Meta Shuts Down Its Workplace Metaverse
▼ Summary
– Meta is discontinuing its Horizon Workrooms virtual collaboration app and will stop selling business-focused Quest headsets and services in early 2026.
– This follows significant layoffs in Meta’s Reality Labs division, including the closure of several VR game studios and the abandonment of the Supernatural fitness app.
– The company is shifting its metaverse strategy away from immersive VR, instead focusing development on mobile phones and smart glasses.
– Meta’s CTO stated the Horizon team will prioritize bringing Horizon experiences and AI tools to mobile, aligning with a broader mobile-first metaverse vision.
– The shutdown of Workrooms will involve deleting user data, with Meta recommending alternative services like Microsoft Teams and Zoom for business collaboration.
The ambitious vision of a virtual office, once a cornerstone of Meta’s rebranding strategy, is officially coming to an end. The company has announced it will discontinue its Horizon Workrooms app, a platform designed for professional collaboration in virtual reality. This move signals a significant strategic pivot away from business-focused VR applications. The shutdown is scheduled for February 16, 2026, at which point all user data associated with the service will be permanently erased. In a parallel retreat from the enterprise market, Meta will also cease sales of its commercial-grade Quest headsets and its managed services package.
This decision follows a major restructuring within Meta’s Reality Labs division, which included laying off approximately ten percent of its workforce. The cuts have extended beyond office software, impacting several high-profile VR game studios. Development has been abandoned on future versions of the popular Supernatural fitness app, and reports indicate deep cuts at the studio behind the upcoming Batman: Arkham Shadow VR title. These actions collectively suggest a fundamental reevaluation of the “metaverse” concept by CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his leadership team.
The company’s focus is demonstrably shifting. While not abandoning the metaverse label entirely, Meta is now prioritizing mobile and augmented reality experiences over fully immersive virtual reality for dedicated headsets. Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, has stated internally that the Horizon team will concentrate on bringing its social experiences and AI tools to mobile platforms. This aligns with a broader interpretation of the metaverse that includes popular games like Fortnite, rather than being strictly defined by Neal Stephenson’s original vision of a shared VR universe.
For the VR enthusiast community and those who anticipated more from Meta’s acquisitions of several game studios, this shift is a disappointment. The primary user base for Quest headsets now appears to be younger consumers, making the business-to-business segment a lower priority. As Workrooms sunsets, Meta is directing its former users toward alternative platforms like Arthur, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom Workplace. The company notes that its Quest Remote Desktop app will remain available for users who wish to simulate multiple computer monitors within their headset.
Existing customers of the soon-to-be-discontinued Meta Horizon managed services will retain access until January 4, 2030. In a concession to those clients, Meta will stop charging for these service licenses after February 16 of this year, allowing for a lengthy transition period at no additional cost.
(Source: The Verge)
