The decision follows years of heavy spending on virtual reality. Meta’s Reality Labs division, which builds VR headsets and smart glasses, has lost nearly $80 billion since 2020.

Last month, the company cut about 1,500 jobs in the unit, roughly 10% of its workforce. It also closed several VR game studios.

Supernatural, the VR fitness app Meta bought in 2023, will stop producing new content and move into maintenance mode.

Horizon Worlds launched in 2021 as a virtual reality social platform. It later expanded to the web and mobile. Now the company is narrowing its focus.

“To truly change the game and tap into a much larger market, we’re going all-in on mobile,” Samantha Ryan, vice president of Content at Reality Labs, wrote.

In shifting to mobile, Meta is placing Horizon Worlds in more direct competition with platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite, which already reach large audiences on phones.

Ryan said, “We’re in a strong position to deliver synchronous social games at scale, thanks to our unique ability to connect those games with billions of people on the world’s biggest social networks. You saw this strategy start to unfold in 2025, and now, it’s our main focus.”

At the same time, the company said it is not leaving virtual reality hardware. Ryan added, “We have a robust roadmap of future VR headsets that will be tailored to different audience segments as the market grows and matures.”

Meta said it will clearly separate its Quest VR platform from Horizon Worlds so each can grow independently. It plans to concentrate its VR focus on supporting third-party developers rather than expanding its own first-party studios.

According to the company, 86% of the time people spend in their VR headsets goes to third-party apps.

In 2025, Meta invested nearly $150 million in VR developer programmes, including its Start Developer Competition. It reported that in-app purchases on Quest rose 13% year on year.

Meta Horizon+ passed one million active subscribers in 2025 and now offers more than 100 games.

However, company executives admit the wider VR market has grown more slowly than expected. During last month’s earnings call, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said, “It’s hard to imagine a world in several years where most glasses that people wear aren’t AI glasses.”

He added that sales of Meta’s glasses tripled over the past year and described them as “some of the fastest-growing consumer electronics in history.”

Internally, Meta has also adjusted how developers publish and sell content. It will remove individual worlds from the VR store shelves and separate worlds from the mobile app store listing.

The company said this should increase visibility for apps. It has introduced tools such as season passes, featured bundles and a “Deals” tab to improve sales and discovery.

On mobile, Meta reported growth in creator activity, noting that mobile-only worlds increased from zero to more than 2,000 in 2025. Four creators have earned more than $1 million in lifetime revenue, while nearly 100 earned six figures last year.

Meta is now putting most of its focus into building Horizon Worlds for phones while keeping its VR hardware plans in place. The company said it will do fewer projects at once and concentrate on areas it believes can grow faster.

The layoffs hit the heart of Meta’s VR gaming. Twisted Pixel Games, Sanzaru Games and Armature Studio are being closed, bringing an end to teams behind titles linked to Deadpool, Asgard’s Wrath and the VR version of Resident Evil 4. 

Work on new features and content for the Supernatural fitness app has also been stopped, although the app itself will continue to run in its current form.

This looks like a retreat as Reality Labs has lost more than $70bn since 2021, driven by heavy spending on headsets, software and in-house studios that failed to reach a mass audience. 

The latest round of cuts affects more than 1,000 roles and removes roughly one in ten staff from the division.

Several projects that never reached the public are also being scrapped. Among them are a virtual reality Harry Potter title reportedly in development and scaled-back work at Camouflaj, the studio behind Batman: Arkham Shadow. These decisions reveal how much Meta is narrowing its focus, away from the VR game studios, among other areas.

VR gaming, once described as an important pillar of the metaverse, is no longer at the centre of the plan. The company is redirecting money and talent towards artificial intelligence and augmented reality hardware, with particular emphasis on its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. 

Mark Zuckerberg has described these devices as a more realistic path to growth than fully immersive virtual worlds.

The transition is also changing how Meta courts developers. Instead of funding expensive, VR-only titles, the company is encouraging creators from platforms such as Roblox to build lighter, mobile-friendly experiences for Horizon Worlds. 

It is a move away from grand, hardware-heavy ideas towards products that can scale faster and cost less.

The metaverse vision is not gone, but it is being changed to be cheaper, and far less dependent on blockbuster virtual reality games.

10 Wi-Fi Predictions for 2024 and Beyond

1. In the future 10 Gbps speeds will be commonplace

Fibre broadband deployments will continue to expand in most developed and developing markets, creating a need for an upgrade of home Wi-Fi networks to pass on the increased bandwidth to the device, which will drive the rapid adoption of Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.

The rapid adoption of Wi-Fi 6E/7 will also be driven by its ability to access additional spectrum in the 6GHz band as more countries open the band.

2. The capabilities of Wi-Fi 7 will drive immersive experiences and advance gaming and video content

A recent Bain & Company report forecasts that global revenue for video gaming could increase by another 50 percent over the next five years.

In a sport where milliseconds count, networking equipment will be just as crucial to the game as the speed of the gaming rig. Wi-Fi 7 will be critical for speed and near-zero latency, and game developers will break new barriers with immersive experiences. Wi-Fi 7 client devices have already been released in 2023 with Qualcomm chipset with more to come in 2024.

3. OpenRoaming growth will continue and extend to integrate with private 5G and IoT networks in 2024, reaching a critical point of exponential growth by 2026 when tens of millions of hotspots will be enabled. Deployments of OpenRoaming (with Passpoint), continue to rise as more brands and identity providers recognize the value of the federation to enable seamless connectivity access across different networks.

4. Convergence will progress enabling access to private and/or public 5G services over Wi-Fi. We expect network executives will continue deploying Wi-Fi and cellular in the coming years, with Wi-Fi 6E/7 for indoor, on-campus, and fixed network situations and 5G/cellular for outdoor, off-campus, and mobile environments.

Rather than competing with 5G over emerging high-performance use cases, the Wi-Fi community continues to work on coexistence with 5G, especially around identity management, authentication, and policy management.

5. NaaS (Network as a Service) will rise beyond early adopters (e.g. managed Wi-Fi in multi-apartment units) spreading quickly to traditional enterprises where networks provide cloud-first, software-defined, application-centric environments.

NaaS is attracting customers because it accelerates and simplifies the deployment of devices in today’s shortened equipment replacement and improves security with the delivery of continuous security updates that prevent and reduce breaches and outages.

6. The role of AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) cannot be overstated, with Adaptive AI set to explode on networks, from enabling Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) to predicting network resourcing needs. AI will help enterprises and ISPs speed up troubleshooting; streamline monitoring; and proactively anticipate outages, equipment failures, and performance degradation.

7. Outdoor AFC will initially be successful in rural connectivity, in countries that have opened large portions of the 6GHz spectrum to Wi-Fi. We expect 6GHz low-power indoor (LP) devices with an average transmit power of 24 dBm to proliferate quickly for indoor applications such as residential mesh, indoor public venues, and high-density enterprise networks.

We also expect 6GHz very low-power indoor (VPI) devices with 14 dBm maximum transmit power to be quickly adopted for short-range indoor applications such as AR/VR/XR, streaming, and gaming. These device classes do not require Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) coordination with the incumbents.

8. New IoT technology will help unify connectivity across multiple home devices, transforming home users’ experience with IoT devices. Matter— a new industry standard launched in 2023 provides reliable, secure connectivity across multiple device manufacturers. Given the weight of players involved (e.g., Apple, Amazon, Google, Samsung SmartThings), we expect the adoption of Matter-certified products will be exponential in the next three years, validating Wi-Fi’s central role in the smart connected home and buildings.

9. Pilot projects and trials of TIP Open Wi-Fi will proliferate in developing countries and price-sensitive markets due to its cost-effectiveness and the benefits offered by an open disaggregated model. Well-established wireless local-area network (WLAN) vendors will continue working to make themselves more cost-effective in these markets through massive investment in machine learning and AI and an integrated Wi-Fi + 5G offering to enterprises.

10. Augmented and virtual reality will gain a larger share of our daily lives at home and work, but it will require indoor broadband networks to adapt with improvements in user interfaces and network capabilities to cater for larger group of users.

According to Bloomberg, the metaverse’s economy is expected to generate $800 billion by 2025 and $2.5 trillion by 2030. Thus, the metaverse is the universe of the future. Major brands are making substantial investments in this technology.

Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance, said:

“There has never been a more exciting time for Wi-Fi with technologies such as OpenRoaming more widely available than ever and addressing the challenges in areas including Guest Wi-Fi provision, IoT deployments and private cellular networks. The HaLow program is creating huge interest in low-power extended range Wi-Fi and we are looking forward to working with the Wi-Fi ecosystem to develop industry trials for Wi-Fi 7 during 2024.”

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Business, healthcare, education, and entertainment are all being converted by these developments but everyone must be able to benefit from them, especially those in third-world nations.

Inclusive UX (user experience) is now a necessity rather than a luxury in order to close the digital gap and ensure that emerging technologies serve everyone worldwide.

In many underdeveloped countries, accessibility problems in digital experiences are often associated with budgetary constraints, infrastructure limitations, and technological literacy.

It is difficult for many individuals to participate in typical AR/VR interactions since high-speed internet, new technologies, and advanced computer power are not widely available. But these technologies have the potential of redefining access to healthcare, education, job training, and more if they are developed with inclusivity in mind.

One of the most important aspects for inclusive UX in emerging technologies is device adaptability. Customers with low-cost devices or limited processing power are unable to use AR/VR apps because many of them are made for high-end technology.

Developing WebAR-enabled AR applications that are portable and don’t require expensive headsets can improve accessibility.

Similarly, a wider audience can be reached by making VR content compatible with inexpensive mobile VR devices rather to expensive headsets like the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest.

The optimisation process of low bandwidth is another important aspect. Many third-world nations have slow, costly, or unreliable internet connectivity.

Experiences with spatial computing that primarily rely on cloud computing or real-time streaming could put off users in these regions.

By employing offline capabilities, compressed files, and progressive loading techniques, developers can counteract this and allow users to engage with immersive experiences without constantly requiring high-speed internet.

Both linguistic and cultural accessibility are crucial for developing inclusive AR and VR experiences. The fact that English is usually utilised as the default language when creating new technology products may turn off non-native speakers.

Voice-guided interactions in many local languages, AI-powered real-time translation, and culturally relevant user interface elements can all help boost user acceptance.

Additionally, to accommodate the unique learning requirements and circumstances of users in various locations, spatial computing applications intended for education and skill development should be localised.

Depending on how they are invented, AR, VR, and spatial computing can either empower or severely restrict individuals with disabilities.

People with mobility disabilities can connect in a number of ways as a result of adaptive input techniques like haptic feedback, gesture-based navigation, and voice instructions.

High contrast graphics, screen reader compatibility, and audio descriptions to help visually impaired persons navigate digital surroundings should all be features of augmented reality experiences.

In a similar vein, immersive settings ought to take into account spatial audio design that offers navigational signals.

In poor nations, cost is frequently the biggest obstacle to adoption. In order to ensure accessibility, collaborations between IT companies and educational institutions, NGOs, and local governments can be extremely important. Initiatives that supply open-source or inexpensive software, recycle or subsidise obsolete AR/VR equipment, and integrate immersive learning into public schools can make a big difference.

To create inclusive, my advise is that AR, VR, and spatial computing experiences, governments, tech companies, advocacy agencies, and educational institutions requires cooperation.

Leaders in the private sector must collaborate with legislators to support accessible innovation and advocate for more reasonably priced hardware options.

In modern technologies, inclusive user experience (UX) is about innovation, not just conformity. Developers and designers can open up completely new markets and empower millions of people who have historically been left behind in the digital revolution by creating AR, VR, and spatial computing experiences that put accessibility first.

Technology should be created for everyone, everywhere, and not just for a select few.

*Folashade Blessing Adegbite biography:

Folashade Adegbite is a seasoned product designer with years of experience across various technology sectors leading the charge in designs and user experience innovation. Her innovative spirit has made her create amazing product experiences for tech apps across Africa.

She continues to lend her voice to women empowerment conversations particularly around tech empowerment for women and how to bring the Africa of the future where technology is not alien to us but we are the ones building the tech needed for the new age.

The Metaverse was created by a group of developers as an open source platform in 2014. The first version launched in 2015 and since then there have been many updates, including the addition of several languages, new features and more. 

The MVT was originally released in 2015 with a value of $1 but has since increased to over $850 per token. With its unique features and groundbreaking technology, the Metaverse has taken over the world of gaming!

In order to start using the metaverse, you must first purchase some MVT from an exchange such as Binance or Huobi. Once you have acquired your tokens, they can be used within the platform’s ecosystem of applications and games that are built on top of it.

The main way to buy them is through exchanges like Bitfinex or Coinbase Pro which allow users to make direct purchases with fiat currencies such as USD/EURO while also supporting cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin & Ethereum through cold storage wallets.

Once purchased, users will have access not only over their own account but also those belonging others within their network connections (which could include friends).

The virtual reality universe allows users to interact with one another through simulated environments. It has been described as a “second generation” of immersive worlds like Second Life or Sansar after having been initially launched by Linden Lab as a standalone product called “Second Life”.

The MVT is still considered one of the most popular digital currencies on the market today and its price continues to rise as more people learn about it.

With its unique features and groundbreaking technology, the Metaverse has taken over the world of gaming

The Metaverse is a virtual world that combines the best features of gaming and the internet. It has taken over the world of gaming, but what else can you do with it?

The unique features of the Metaverse include three-dimensional graphics, high-resolution audio soundtracks, Dolby 5.1 surround sound and full body simulation technology which allows users to walk around in their avatar as they would in real life.

In addition to these amazing qualities, there are also groundbreaking technologies involved in creating this expansive virtual environment including:

Eye tracking sensors so you can see your character from any angle on screen (without having to use an external camera). This means no more clicking through menus or paying attention when playing games!

Motion capture technology used for facial animations (making sure every expression looks perfect).

The Metaverse is still one of the best places to play games in virtual reality!

The online world where users can create their own avatar, avatar clothing and accessories, and even furniture allows you to spend your time in the metaverse playing games with friends or even by yourself.

To answer the question of discussion, the metaverse is still very desirable and the hypes are still on with new discoveries coming up every time.

Key Highlights:

• Comprehensive Analysys Mason study spans 15 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America
• Potential GDP economic benefits vastly outweigh investment costs
• Governments, regulators and policy makers play a key enabling role
• Countries also set to benefit from environmental and social inclusion capabilities

With regulatory and government support, all fifteen countries could benefit from GDP growth between 0.3 and 0.46 percent through 2035, with an estimated three-to-seven-fold cost-to-benefit ratio.

Called the Future Value of Mobile in Emerging Markets, the report examines the impact of multiple 5G spectrum deployment options to facilitate enhanced mobile broadband and fixed wireless access (FWA) across consumer, industry, logistics, rural and public services clusters, and spanning several business case options, including verticals.

The detailed methodology included using national government statistics and reports, Ericsson network insights and innovative mapping techniques – based on population density distribution and existing national infrastructure such as, road and rail networks, and agriculture – to create a cost-to-benefit model across the different deployment options.

Deployment options are based on the starting assumption of having 5G baseline rollout added to existing mobile radio network sites.

Additional options explore the extra benefits of adding Low-Band 5G spectrum coverage beyond the baseline (delivering wider geographical coverage at the lower end of 5G capabilities and suited to agriculture or logistics deployments) or Mid-Band 5G spectrum coverage – delivering smaller geographical coverage per site, but with higher capacity and speed, suitable for manufacturing, automation, industry and advanced services.

Expanded Mid-Band 5G coverage is identified as the key success factor – with the potential to deliver about 80 percent of the economic benefits. Benefits from the Smart Industry and Smart Rural clusters account for 85-90 percent of the total economic benefits in each emerging market.

Agriculture is a significant sector in all 15 countries – accounting for up to 10 percent of GDP in some markets. The report estimates that enhanced rural 5G coverage could deliver up to 1.8 percent uplift in long-term GDP from agriculture. 5G will also promote sustainable farming methods, increase efficiency and reduce agricultural waste.

Study findings include:

• Baseline 5G deployment cost is estimated between USD 3-8 billion per country. An additional 20-35 percent investment is required to extend coverage
• Extending coverage beyond the baseline can generate significant GDP benefits from industrial adoption, especially from mid-band coverage extension
• Most countries are expected to generate overall economic benefits (GDP) three-to-seven times higher than the incremental cost of extending coverage
• Results suggest 5G mobile broadband can generate consumer surplus between USD 1-10 billion per country, with coverage extension giving 20-30 percent extra consumer surplus
• The social benefits enabled by 5G will be greatest from 5G-based FWA, smart factories, freight and logistics, agriculture and healthcare use cases
• Adopting 5G can help reduce emissions by supporting digital transformation in agriculture, freight and logistics, smart factories and construction

The study highlights how governments, regulators and policy makers can support the 5G ecosystem to deliver the benefits.

These include treating 5G as a national infrastructure with a 5G national strategy and roadmap; implementing 5G spectrum policies that facilitate speedier and widespread deployment, including trading off spectrum fees for deployment targets that meet connectivity policy objectives; implementing policies and procedures to make infrastructure deployment and site upgrades easier; working with communications services providers to enhance coverage in areas where commercially-led solutions are not viable; incentivizing the use and prominence of 5G in industry and manufacturing; promoting 5G in the public sector and promoting the environmental benefits of 5G solutions.

Andrew Lloyd, Head of Government and Policy Advocacy, Ericsson, says: ”This Analysys Mason Future Value of Mobile in Emerging Markets report provides a detailed breakdown, based on comprehensive research into realistic and achievable scenarios in each of the 15 countries, of the potential economic, social, environmental and national benefits of 5G in these markets. With the backing of governments, regulators and policy makers, each of these 15 countries, and their citizens, stand to benefit significantly from 5G connectivity. In addition to economic benefits, 5G can also reduce climate impact, increase social inclusion, wellbeing and tackle the digital divide in areas where fixed infrastructure availability is poor.”

Janette Stewart, Partner, Analysys Mason, says: ”The study highlights the benefits from having the right spectrum available for 5G deployment, both for geographic coverage, for which the low-bands are very suitable, and in the 3.5GHz band where most of the high-capacity 5G deployments in other markets are already taking place.”

The countries addressed in the report research are Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey.