After a difficult few months at Meta, there are reports of a shift in focus regarding VR. Following the company’s rebranding around the concept of the metaverse 18 months ago, it appears Meta has been rethinking the hand it wants to play next.
With interest in the metaverse dwindling and big layoffs in Reality Labs, Zuckaberg and Meta have turned their attention toward AI. But where does that leave VR?
Now Meta hopes to raise the calibre of the games on offer in the Quest Store and wants to net a title like “Grand Theft Auto” or “Call of Duty.”
Along with this comes the news that Meta has started working to retool its existing VR headsets to
What’s Behind the Switch?
After pouring billions of dollars into the Reality Labs division to grow the company’s flagship metaverse platform, Horizon Worlds, there’s been little interest. At the end of 2022, there were only 200,000 monthly users.
But following heavy investment in various VR projects, Meta announced 11,000 layoffs in November and a further 10,000 in March. Now, there are reports that another 5,000 will go soon, bringing the total to 25,000 job losses in six months.
The latest round of layoffs isn’t just limited to Reality Labs. This time the losses will hit Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp. According to reports, many teams and projects in both Reality Labs and the Facebook app are set to be dissolved.
Elsewhere in the VR sector, Sony has noticeably stuck to gaming with the launch of the PSVR2.
Now, Business Insider reports that Zuckerberg’s enthusiasm for the metaverse has become subdued; however, he has apparently demonstrated more enthusiasm toward gaming. It appears that Meta has realised switching focus toward gaming could improve the finances of Reality Labs.
Gaming Retool Set for Quest Headsets
Switching to a gaming focus means Meta needs to revise its hardware offering. Alongside Improvements to the Quest 2 and Quest Pro headsets, this could extend to changes to the yet-to-be-released Meta Quest 3.
Alongside the technical changes, Meta is also looking to attract major games. Back in October 2021, a VR version of GTA: San Adreas was announced; however, there have been no further details or even a launch.
Over the last three and a half years, Meta has bought eight VR game studios. To date, none have released or even announced any new VR titles. It’s currently anticipated that when the Quest 3 launches, it will be flanked by a selection of games from Meta’s studios.
Can Gaming Turn the Tide?
After spending $100 billion on metaverse research and development and a further billion dollars a month since the rebranding, Meta doesn’t just face embarrassment for getting it so wrong. But attracting a few key titles to the Quest Store could help recoup some of the losses and reinvigorate the company.
After pinning so much on such lofty ambitions, a successful pivot over the next few months and the successful launch of the Quest 3 are going to be vital in distracting the world from Zuckaberg’s metaverse folly.