Meta Aims to Recharge Lagging Horizon Worlds Metaverse With New In-House Game Studio

Meta Aims to Recharge Lagging Horizon Worlds Metaverse With New In-House Game Studio

Meta is revamping its Horizon Worlds metaverse platform with a new in-house VR game studio called Ouro Interactive. The struggling platform reported losses of $3.7 billion in the second quarter of 2023; consumer interest in the metaverse appears to be cooling. Meta is working to reboot its lagging Horizon Worlds platform through a new in-house VR game studio, in a bid to help the platform recoup major losses and revive waning interest in its metaverse among consumers. According to Shah, the platform is also hoping to better target the estimated billions of mobile gamers worldwide by bringing Horizon Worlds to app stores, though it’s unclear when it plans to do that. By integrating cross-platform play, Shah told Lowpass 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.” Over the last year, Horizon Worlds has focused its efforts on supporting more complex games and the ability for developers to import assets from using third-party tools. It is also investing in generative AI tools to make it easier for users to build in its world without the knowledge of professional 3D rendering tools.