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Meta’s Horizon Worlds Shooter Launches Beyond VR

▼ Summary

– Meta’s new first-party game Super Strike is a Horizon Worlds shooter only playable on mobile and web, not in VR.
– This marks Meta’s ongoing diversification from purely XR focus to competing as a popular smartphone gaming platform against Roblox and Fortnite.
– Meta has awarded $2 million total this year to third-party creators through competitions to foster non-VR Horizon Worlds content.
– Horizon Worlds can now be accessed instantly via Instagram and Facebook links without requiring additional app installations.
– Despite these shifts, Meta continues investing heavily in VR gaming with over 100 titles shipped in 2024 and major releases like Deadpool VR planned.

Meta’s latest first-party release, Super Strike, marks a significant departure for the company by launching exclusively on mobile and web platforms, completely bypassing virtual reality. Developed by Ouro Interactive, an internal studio Meta established to produce high-caliber Horizon Worlds titles, this new shooter underscores a strategic pivot away from a purely XR-focused approach. Ouro Interactive previously delivered Super Rumble, the platform’s flagship shooter that was notable for being developed with a desktop editor and accessible across all supported platforms, including VR.

The decision to exclude VR support for Super Strike highlights Meta’s broader initiative to diversify Reality Labs. Rather than concentrating solely on social VR, the company is now positioning itself to compete in the crowded smartphone gaming market, taking on established giants like Roblox, Rec Room, and Fortnite. This move aligns with the ongoing expansion of Horizon Worlds, which became available on mobile and web last year. Recently, a growing number of worlds have launched without VR compatibility, starting with third-party developers and now extending to Meta’s own studios.

To fuel this expansion, Meta has actively supported external creators through substantial financial incentives. This year alone, the company distributed $2 million across two separate competitions. The Mobile Genre Showdown, held in June, awarded cash prizes of $100,000, $30,000, and $20,000 to the top three winners in five distinct genres, with an additional $15,000 granted to victors in fifteen special categories. Following that, the Elevate Your Mobile World contest in August provided $100,000, $60,000, and $50,000 to the first, second, and third place finishers in categories like “Most Satisfying Progression System” and “Most Sharable Moments,” alongside $20,000 awards for multiple winners across fourteen new special categories.

Further boosting accessibility, Meta integrated Horizon Worlds with its social media ecosystems, allowing users to jump directly into experiences via links on Instagram and Facebook without needing to install a separate application. Despite these clear shifts, company leadership maintains a strong commitment to VR. Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, recently emphasized that the company continues to “invest massively in VR gaming,” while Director of Games Chris Pruett revealed funding for over 100 VR and mixed reality titles released in 2024, with more than 200 additional projects in active development. The upcoming Deadpool VR game, created in partnership with Marvel Games and scheduled for a November release, stands as the next major title following Batman: Arkham Shadow.

Even so, Meta’s evolving priorities are unmistakable. With Quest headset sales on the decline, future content funding could see even greater reallocation. The critical question remains: Can non-VR shooters, deep social media integration, and multi-million-dollar creator incentives truly elevate Horizon Worlds to rival platforms like Fortnite? Or will this ambitious expansion be remembered as a legendary misstep in Meta’s corporate history?

(Source: Upload VR)

Topics

horizon worlds 98% super strike 95% platform diversification 92% mobile gaming 90% strategic shifts 89% creator competitions 88% competitive gaming 87% vr gaming 85% third-party creators 82% ouro interactive 80%