Meta Separates Horizon Worlds from Quest for Mobile

Meta announced this week that it is separating its Horizon Worlds social and gaming platform from the Quest virtual reality headset ecosystem, redirecting Horizon Worlds to focus almost exclusively on mobile devices. The move, detailed in a blog post by Samantha Ryan, vice president of content at Meta's Reality Labs division, aims to expand the platform's reach by prioritizing smartphone users over VR headset owners.

The separation allows each product to develop independently, with Horizon Worlds evolving into a mobile-first experience accessible through Meta's social apps like Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Ryan wrote that the company began testing mobile versions of Horizon Worlds last year and observed significant growth, including more than 2,000 new mobile experiences created in 2025 alone and a fourfold increase in monthly users. This shift positions Horizon Worlds to compete directly with popular mobile gaming platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite, which attract billions of casual users worldwide.

On the Quest side, Meta emphasized its continued investment in virtual reality hardware and third-party developers. The company plans to support creators through funding,...