Were going to let VR be what it is Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth addresses the major VR layoffs and teases a new direction for the metaverse

Date:
Fri, 23 Jan 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Description:
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth has explained the company's new approach to VR, the metaverse, and XR glasses.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Meta finally addresses its VR layoffs The Reality Labs CTO also explains its new focus on glasses ... and suggested its metaverse has a new home on mobile

Meta Reality Labs CTO Andrew Bosworth has spoken publicly about the recent major VR layoffs at the company, and it really does sound like Meta isnt fussed about VR anymore but its metaverse sounds like a top priority still.

While in Davos for the annual World Economic Forum, Axios interviewed
Bosworth , and almost instantly the discussion homed in on the major restructuring weve all seen from Reality Labs, which caused the division to shut down multiple VR game studios.

Bosworth explained that Metas VR approach has been to build a space with something for everyone, but this lack of focus comes at the expense of user experience and a great expense in terms of development cost.

So Metas new plan is, as Bosworth puts it, Were going to let VR be what it
is, what it does great. Were going to focus a lot more on the third-party content library, the ecosystem thats developed there.

Meta Reality Labs CTO then goes on to argue that Reality Labs isnt
downsizing. Instead, that investment is being shifted to focus on its glasses
the area it is seeing the most growth. This is consistent with previous comments Meta has made about its ongoing approach to Reality Labs efforts. Something familiar on the Horizon?

Whats interesting is a part of Bosworths answer I cut out above. After discussing Meta letting VR be what it is, what it does great, and how that means pushing third-party development, he then adds, and with Horizon were focusing a lot more on mobile.

Horizon is Metas metaverse, and while it was initially envisioned for VR, it is also accessible on PC and mobile. (Image credit: Roblox Corporation)

Interestingly, it also serves as Metas closest rival to one of its biggest social media rivals. Im not talking about TikTok, Im talking about Roblox .

Ask anyone under the age of 12 about this gaming platform, and you wont be able to get a word in edgewise for about an hour. Its this massive online gaming platform which, just like Horizon Worlds, offers a large amount of constantly evolving user-created spaces to explore and play in.

Both platforms have also, in recent years, seen a rise in sponsored and branded collaborations, as well as hosting major concerts and live events which take place in the virtual worlds.

To that end, they arent just games; they are a very interactive and adaptable form of social media that doesnt simply chase fads it spawns them. Though,
as you might imagine, Roblox has a much bigger user base than Horizon based
on available figures.

That said, with a shift to a more mobile-heavy focus as Bosworth discussed the gaming platform most accessible to younger users who might not be trusted with a PC or VR headset Meta is perhaps hoping to shorten the divide between it and Roblox.

Given the lackluster response to Horizon in VR, it's yet to be seen if these efforts will prove more successful in the mobile sphere, but at least VR fans can appreciate the silver lining that Horizon might not be pushed so heavily in VR going forward and an upcoming update looks to confirm just that .

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/were-goi ng-to-let-vr-be-what-it-is-meta-cto-andrew-bosworth-addresses-the-major-vr-lay offs-and-teases-a-new-direction-for-the-metaverse


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