Mark Zuckerberg shuts down Metaverse, ex-employee says management was out of touch with reality
India Today
Meta is scaling back its plans for a metaverse. The Mark Zuckerberg-led firm has announced that the company will be shutting down the Horizons World app from VR by June this year. This announcement comes after the company laid off workers from the Reality Labs division that was responsible for its metaverse projects.
In 2021, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled plans for a metaverse – a virtual world designed by Meta where people will meet, interact, and essentially do everything, instead of being in the real world. Zuckerberg was so confident that he changed Facebook’s name to Meta, the first time he had changed the company’s name since its inception. But now, the company is shutting down its metaverse after pouring billions of dollars over the last five years.
Meta has announced that it will shut down Horizon Worlds, its virtual reality (VR) social platform by June this year. The service, originally designed for Quest VR headsets, will no longer be available on VR devices after this date but will continue as a mobile app.
The Horizon Worlds app will be removed from the Quest store at the end of March. Meta Horizon Plus members will also see perks such as meta credits, digital clothing, avatars and in-world purchases removed. By June 15, 2026, Horizon Worlds will no longer be supported for VR. Though, users can still access it as a mobile-only platform.
Metaverse refers to a 3D virtual reality world where users can interact, work, play, and do almost anything they can in the real-world. Users can join a metaverse by wearing a virtual reality headset such as the Meta Quest. Horizon Worlds, launched in 2021, was Meta’s version of a potential metaverse.
It operated exclusively on the Quest VR platform until a mobile version was introduced in September 2023 to attract users without VR headsets.
Unfortunately, Horizon Worlds struggled to build a large user base. The platform is believed to have never exceeded a few hundred thousand active monthly users. The virtual environment was often criticised for its limited appeal and technical issues.
The Galaxy Z TriFold, Samsung's triple-folding smartphone, is reportedly getting the axe barely three months after launch. The TriFold's seemingly high production cost is being cited as the reason.
The CBSE Class 12 Economics exam 2026 was moderate and balanced, say teachers. The paper followed the CBSE pattern and NCERT syllabus, with a mix of theory, numericals, and case-based questions. While many questions were manageable, application-based and case study questions required careful reading and strong conceptual clarity.
WhatsApp is reportedly working on a built-in noise cancellation feature. This feature is designed to improve call quality on the platform. Here is what we know about the feature.
After cutting thousands of jobs, Amazon bets big on AI to power its next phase of growth. CEO Andy Jassy believes AWS could grow into a $600 billion business in the coming years. Here is everything you need to know.
One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) is beginning to reshape access to academic research in India. In its first year, the scheme enabled more than 11 crore article downloads across government institutions, with IIT Madras and IISc Bengaluru among the leading users.
Sam Altman's heartfelt note to developers has reignited the debate around AI replacing coders. But current data and industry voices suggest humans still have a strong role to play. Here is everything you need to know.
Delhi University launched Coffee with Vice-Chancellor to bring students closer to leadership. Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh encouraged students to embrace AI and contribute to nation-building.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has addressed rumours surrounding a potential exit from the Cupertino giant. Cook made it clear that he continues to enjoy his time at the company, with no plans of stepping down anytime soon. His comments come as Apple kicks off its 50th anniversary celebrations.
OpenAI's head of ChatGPT, Nick Turley, has claimed that the AI startup may rethink its unlimited subscription plan. Turley believes that having an unlimited AI plan would be similar to having unlimited electricity, something that may not make sense. His comments come after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hinted at selling intelligence as a utility in the future.
Skoda Auto India will announce prices for the Skoda Kushaq facelift on March 21, 2026, with bookings open and deliveries of the updated mid-size SUV set to begin soon.
Poco rolls out its latest X8 Pro series in India. The series will be available on Flipkart. Here is what we know about the lineup.
Oppo has unveiled the Find N6 with a near crease-free display, aiming to fix one of the biggest issues in foldable phones. The device takes on Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold lineup while also hinting at a possible India launch.