Meta has abruptly reversed its decision to remove Horizon Worlds from its Quest virtual reality headsets. Following a brief announcement that the social metaverse platform would pivot exclusively to mobile and web on June 15, CTO Andrew Bosworth confirmed via an Instagram post that the company will continue to support the app on VR hardware.
A Sudden Strategic Pivot
The reversal comes after significant backlash from the platform’s core user base. While Meta previously indicated that the shift to mobile and web was necessary to streamline development, the company confirmed the update on its community forums before quickly retracting the move. A spokesperson for Meta officially verified the change in direction following Bosworth’s comments.
The Reality Labs Financial Black Hole
Despite the continued support for VR, the initial plan to shutter the headset experience highlighted the ongoing struggles of Meta’s Reality Labs division. Since the company’s 2021 rebrand, this unit has accumulated $73 billion in losses. The division, which encompasses both VR and augmented reality initiatives, remains a massive capital drain, fueling skepticism about the long-term viability of the metaverse as originally envisioned.
Hardware Market Stagnation
Data from market intelligence firm IDC underscores the difficulty Meta faces in the hardware space. Quest headset sales saw a 16% year-over-year decline between 2024 and 2025. This downturn is industry-wide; even Apple has been forced to scale back production of the $3,500 Vision Pro due to tepid consumer demand. In response to these headwinds, Meta executed significant layoffs within Reality Labs this past January, affecting over 1,500 employees and resulting in the closure of multiple game studios.
The Shift Toward Mobile Dominance
Despite keeping the VR version alive, Meta remains laser-focused on the mobile experience. In a recent podcast appearance, Bosworth noted that building for both platforms simultaneously creates unnecessary friction. “There’s a much bigger audience in mobile,” Bosworth explained, suggesting that focusing on a single platform would significantly increase development velocity.
The numbers support this mobile-first strategy. According to Appfigures, the Horizon Worlds mobile app has reached 45 million global downloads, with 1.5 million downloads recorded so far in 2026—a 53% increase year-over-year. However, the platform still faces a monetization hurdle: total consumer spending remains at approximately $1.1 million, a negligible figure compared to the billions Meta has poured into its metaverse ambitions.