Meta's Horizon+ subscription service has crossed over 1 million active subscribers in 2025, according to Meta. The /month service gives Quest owners access to around 100 premium VR titles.

Meta's Horizon+ subscription service for Quest headsets has reached over 1 million active subscribers in 2025, offering access to around 100 VR games, including major titles and indie games. Subscribers receive two free games each month, and the service provides excellent value at $8 per month. This milestone signifies a shift in how VR headset owners access premium content, potentially benefiting developers and reducing costs for subscribers.

Meta is explicitly separating Horizon Worlds from Quest and shifting focus to third-party apps. The company will no longer push Horizon Worlds on Quest owners, instead funding and supporting the third-party developer ecosystem.

Meta is explicitly separating Horizon Worlds from Quest, focusing on third-party apps. Horizon Worlds will become almost exclusively mobile, while Meta will support the third-party developer ecosystem on Quest. Meta is removing individual Horizon Worlds destinations from the Quest in-VR store and separating worlds from the Store in the smartphone app.

Apple's smart glasses will have two cameras, one for capture and the other for computer vision, and launch in early 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The device will use high-end materials and be powered by an Apple-designed chipset.

Apple's upcoming smart glasses are set to feature two cameras, one for high-quality image and video capture and the other for computer vision, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The glasses, which will launch in early 2027, will be designed with high-end materials and will offer functionalities like phone calls, music playback, live translations, turn-by-turn directions, and multimodal AI. Apple plans to distinguish its hardware from competitors like Meta by focusing on build quality and camera technology.

Meta plans to add facial recognition to its smart glasses, according to a report. The feature, internally known as "Name Tag," would allow wearers to identify people and get information about them via Meta's AI assistant, raising significant privacy questions.

World Labs, co-founded by Fei-Fei Li, secured a $1 billion funding round, including a $200 million investment from Autodesk. The partnership will explore integrating World Labs’ AI models, which generate immersive 3D environments particularly for entertainment.

TechCrunch reports that World Labs, an AI startup, has secured a $200 million investment from Autodesk as part of a larger $1 billion funding round. The partnership aims to integrate World Labs' AI-generated 3D environments with Autodesk's 3D design tools, starting with entertainment use cases. Autodesk will advise World Labs and collaborate at the research and model level, with plans to initially focus on media and entertainment.

VRChat reached a new all-time high of 156,716 concurrent users during the Sanrio Virtual Festival, particularly for a performance by Kaguya from the anime Cosmic Princess Kaguya.

VRChat broke its all-time concurrent user record with a Japanese anime concert, reaching 156,716 users. The platform hosted the Sanrio Virtual Festival, featuring a performance by Kaguya from the Netflix series Cosmic Princess Kaguya.

Roblox demos AI tool to build virtual worlds with text prompts.

The rise and fall of Oculus: How Meta's VR ambitions once began. Oculus VR shaped modern virtual reality like hardly any other company and now threatens to disappear for good. It's time for a look back.

This article from heise online provides a comprehensive overview of the rise and fall of Oculus, a pivotal company in the modern virtual reality industry. It began as a hobby project by Palmer Luckey, who developed the first VR prototype at the age of 17. Oculus quickly gained momentum through a successful Kickstarter campaign and the support of industry legends like John Carmack. The company was eventually acquired by Facebook (now Meta) for around two billion US dollars, which marked a turning point. The acquisition led to strategic shifts, community rifts, and the departure of key founders. Despite significant investments and the release of successful products like the Oculus Quest, Meta's vision for the Metaverse has not met expectations. The Oculus brand is now largely phased out, and the future of the once-celebrated start-up remains uncertain.

The Expedition 74 crew aboard the International Space Station focused on robotics and virtual reality research. They prepared for a student robotics challenge using Astrobee robots and conducted virtual reality experiments to study spatial orientation in microgravity.

The Expedition 74 crew aboard the International Space Station engaged in a variety of activities, including promoting education through robotics and virtual reality, inspecting safety equipment, conducting cargo swaps, and performing Earth observations. Students from the Asia-Pacific region prepared for a robotics challenge to control the Astrobee robotic helpers inside the Kibo laboratory module. Meanwhile, cosmonauts tested their balance and spatial orientation in microgravity using virtual reality goggles.

Renault Group is utilising digital twins, virtual reality, and immersive simulation to accelerate vehicle development and reduce costs.

This article explores how Renault Group is reshaping car development by merging real-life testing with virtual reality, using digital twins and immersive simulation to accelerate development and reduce costs.

Eye Tracking Is The Missing Piece In Mark Zuckerberg's VR Strategy.

This article discusses the importance of eye tracking in virtual reality (VR) and how Meta's decision to pause on eye tracking after the Quest Pro has limited VR's scale. It highlights how competitors like Apple, Google, and Valve are leveraging eye tracking in their latest VR headsets. The article also touches on Meta's broader strategy and its impact on the company's future in the VR space.

Everything Will Be Represented in a Virtual Twin, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Says at 3DEXPERIENCE World.

Meta remains optimistic about VR and is investing heavily in content: Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, acknowledged the cuts to its Reality Labs division as a cause for sadness. Bosworth emphasised that Meta’s commitment to VR and wearables are not mutually exclusive.

Meta's CTO, Andrew Bosworth, acknowledges the recent cuts to Reality Labs as a 'real cause for sadness,' but maintains the company's optimism on VR. Despite the over $70 billion in losses since 2020, Bosworth insists that Meta remains 'extremely bullish on VR' and continues to invest more in content than any competitor. He clarifies that the cuts are due to the slower-than-expected growth of the VR ecosystem, not a lack of belief in its potential.

The PREMIERE project, an EU-funded initiative, explored the integration of AI and VR in live performances. The project showcased a performance where a dancer interacted with AI-controlled lights and sound, streamed live in VR.

In September 2025, a live performance at Porto’s Coliseum theatre in Portugal showcased how AI and virtual reality (VR) can transform live art. The Re-embodied Machine performance featured a dancer interacting with AI-driven lights and sound, watched by over 300 in-person and 200 online VR viewers. The EU-funded PREMIERE project explored these technologies' potential in the performing arts, with positive feedback and promising results.

Gaming companies saw share prices drop after Google launched Project Genie 3, an AI tool that generates virtual worlds from text prompts. While impressive, the tool’s limitations suggest it won’t replace traditional game development anytime soon.

Following the launch of Google's Project Genie, an AI tool that allows users to generate virtual worlds from text prompts, gaming companies' share prices have plummeted as investors fear AI could replace game development. However, experts emphasize that AI tools like Project Genie cannot currently replace the game development process. The tool is limited in its interactive elements and can only generate environments for a minute, making it unlikely to challenge game engines like Unity and Unreal anytime soon.

While Meta shifts focus to AI wearables and mobile platforms, other metaverse-adjacent platforms like Decentraland are thriving with a user-centric approach.

Meta is scaling back its metaverse operations, which could be a good thing for VR, experts tell Euronews. The metaverse as a pitch was a mistake, and the technology wasn’t mature enough to support a consumer platform. Meta’s pivot from virtual worlds has given other metaverse-adjacent platforms the freedom to nurture their relationships with real users.

Google’s Project Genie, an experimental research prototype, allows users to create and explore interactive virtual environments through a web interface. While it has limitations, such as inconsistent character control and limited session time, it offers a glimpse into the future.

Google’s Project Genie is an experimental AI system that allows users to create and explore interactive virtual environments in real-time. It features two main prompt boxes for environment and character creation, and a third for modifying the initial look. While it offers exciting possibilities for the future of VR, it currently has limitations such as inconsistent character control, 60-second session limits, and the inability to generate VR worlds on the fly. It is currently available to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the US.

Roblox’s Q4 2025 saw explosive growth, driven by international expansion and a rapidly growing, higher-spending 18+ user base. The company is boosting creator payouts as a core strategy, with developer exchange fees growing 70% year over year.

Roblox experienced explosive growth in Q4 2025, driven by international expansion and a growing 18+ user base, with bookings at $2.2 billion and revenue at $1.4 billion. The platform focuses on boosting creator payouts and investing in AI to enhance content complexity and safety. Facing legal challenges over child safety, Roblox has accelerated safety reforms. The company is now targeting older core gamers, with the 18+ cohort growing at over 50% and monetizing 40% higher than younger cohorts.

The simulation hypothesis suggests that our universe might be a sophisticated simulation, similar to a video game: If future civilisations can create highly realistic simulations of humans, it’s statistically more likely that we are living in one of these simulations.

This article explores the simulation hypothesis, a philosophical argument that suggests the universe might be a computer simulation. It discusses the reasoning behind the hypothesis, its implications, and the skepticism it has faced from experts.

The EU launched a research and innovation partnership to develop European-made virtual worlds by the end of 2025. The focus is on managing dominant digital technologies rather than creating alternative realities.

At the end of 2025, the EU launched a research and innovation partnership for developing European-made virtual worlds, focusing on managing dominant digital technologies rather than creating alternative realities.

The Metaverse Isn’t Dead. It’s Turning Into A Customer Data Powerhouse. Companies can use the metaverse to gather real-time data on customer behaviour and intention, particularly in industries like fashion where data gathering has been historically weak.

Google’s Project Genie allows users to try the company’s Genie 3 world model, which generates images and reacts to user movement. To access Project Genie, users need a $250/month AI Ultra subscription and must be in the US and 18+.

Google's Project Genie allows users to generate their own interactive worlds using the Genie 3 model. Available to US residents aged 18 or older with a $250 per month AI Ultra plan, it offers three modes: World Sketching, exploration, and remixing. While it's not a game engine, it can simulate physical interactions and generate game-like outputs.

After the VR earthquake at Meta: End of an era and a new beginning

After Meta's significant restructuring, the VR industry faces a pivotal moment. The company has laid off around 1,500 employees and closed most of its VR game studios, signaling a shift away from VR game development. This strategic change raises concerns about the industry's future, as developers may lose faith in the platform. However, Meta is not abandoning VR entirely; instead, it is focusing on developing a new, more compact and lightweight VR headset, codenamed 'Phoenix,' set for release in 2027.

Meta’s Reality Labs, responsible for metaverse development, reported a $6.02 billion loss in Q4, a 21% increase year-over-year. Despite the losses, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expects them to peak this year as the company shifts focus towards AI and wearable devices.

Meta’s Reality Labs unit reported a $6.02 billion operating loss in the fourth quarter, exceeding analyst expectations of a $5.67 billion loss. Despite a 13% increase in sales, the unit’s losses rose 21% year over year, bringing the total operating losses since late 2020 to nearly $80 billion. Meta plans to reduce these losses while continuing to develop its metaverse vision.

Meta is shifting focus away from the metaverse and virtual reality, discontinuing Meta Horizon Workrooms and ending sales of Meta Quest headsets to businesses. The company is now prioritising AI, as demand for VR headsets, including Apple’s Vision Pro, has decreased.

Meta is retreating from its metaverse ambitions after a disappointing virtual reality check. The company's Reality Labs division reported a $4.2 billion loss in the first quarter of 2025. Meta is now discontinuing sales of Meta Quest headsets to businesses and ending its Meta Horizon Workrooms service. This pivot signifies a shift towards AI, as Meta faces weakened demand for VR headsets.

Meta’s pivot to AI closes the chapter on the metaverse experiment: What was meant to define the next internet instead became a costly detour.

Meta has pivoted from its metaverse vision to focus on AI-powered hardware, laying off 1,500 employees and shifting resources. The metaverse, once seen as the next internet, failed to capture public imagination and generated minimal revenue. Meta's failure to deliver breakthrough products and its significant financial losses highlight the misjudgment of its initial strategy. The company is now investing heavily in AI, recognizing it as the defining technological shift of the era.

Meta’s recent cuts to its VR division, including the closure of three studios, have raised concerns about the future of VR. While the short-term impact is concerning, the long-term outlook remains positive with the emergence of new competitors like Steam Frame.

This article discusses Meta's decision to scale back its investment in virtual reality, featuring insights from VR experts Cassia Curran and Andrew Eiche. The experts weigh in on the potential impact on the VR industry, the role of Gen Alpha in the future of VR, and the emergence of new competitors like Steam Frame. They also critique Meta's strategy and the challenges posed by Meta Horizon Worlds.

Meta’s metaverse ambitions have faltered, leading to significant layoffs in its Reality Labs division and the closure of several VR game studios.

Meta's ambitious investment in the metaverse has failed, with the company laying off 1,500 employees from its Reality Labs division and shutting down several VR game studios. Despite Meta's initial rebranding to focus on the metaverse, the division has never turned a profit and has faced middling consumer demand. The metaverse's failure is attributed to overhyped expectations, bad initial products, and a lack of user safety measures. Meta is now shifting its focus to AI and AR technologies, such as its Ray-Ban smart glasses.

Roblox’s age verification system, implemented to address child predator concerns, is reportedly flawed.

Roblox's new age verification system, designed to combat child predators, has reportedly been misclassifying users, with some children being identified as adults and vice versa. The system, which requires users to submit a selfie or government ID, has faced backlash from developers and users, with some reporting a significant drop in chat feature usage. Roblox has acknowledged the issues and is working on solutions.