Meta is working to revive its Horizon Worlds platform with the launch of a new in-house VR game studio, Ouro Interactive. According to Vishal Shah, Meta’s metaverse VP, the studio is taking advantage of new technological advancements to create much better-looking and immersive experiences. He told Lowpass, “We’ve really raised the ceiling on what can be built in Horizon in terms of visual complexity, interactivity and fun gameplay.”
The platform is also hoping to reach the estimated billions of mobile gamers worldwide by bringing Horizon Worlds to app stores. By integrating cross-platform play, Shah said that the mobile version is meant to act as a bridge for those who don’t own a VR headset, shifting the platform further away from being VR only to a place where we’re going to be VR first.
Meta is investing in generative AI tools to make it easier for users to build in its world without the knowledge of professional 3D rendering tools. “This is definitely more than just a new world,” Shah told Lowpass. “[It’s] the next generation of Horizon Worlds.” CEO Mark Zuckerberg also affirmed Meta’s commitment to AI and the metaverse, calling them both major priorities that are now overlapping and complementary.
Despite the company’s efforts, Meta clocked an operating loss in the second quarter of 2023 of $3.7 billion in its Reality Labs department. In a press release, Meta said it expects Reality Labs operating losses to increase year-over-year in 2023 due to ongoing product development.
Meta’s renewed interest in the metaverse comes at a time when other companies are scaling back their projects. In March, Disney reportedly laid off its metaverse team and shuttered its virtual world-building efforts.