Meta is abandoning its pioneering virtual reality meeting space, Workrooms, as part of a broader consolidation effort within the company. The move marks a significant shift towards integrating its Horizon platform, which is now touted as a robust hub for productivity apps and tools.
In an era of rapidly evolving tech landscapes, Meta's Reality Labs division has faced significant financial challenges since 2021, with losses estimated to exceed $70 billion. In response, the company has opted to rebalance its investments, diverting resources away from metaverse pursuits towards more established markets like wearables, such as its AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses.
As part of this restructuring, Meta is discontinuing Horizon managed services, a subscription-based service that facilitates the management of Quest headsets for organizations. Furthermore, the company's decision to close three of its VR studios underscores the growing complexity and uncertainty within the metaverse space.
In essence, Workrooms, launched as an immersive virtual reality environment where teams could collaborate in a novel setting, is no longer deemed necessary with Horizon's capabilities on offer. As users prepare for the app's demise, Meta has set a deadline of February 16, 2026, by which point they will be able to access their data within Workrooms or download it if needed.
In an era of rapidly evolving tech landscapes, Meta's Reality Labs division has faced significant financial challenges since 2021, with losses estimated to exceed $70 billion. In response, the company has opted to rebalance its investments, diverting resources away from metaverse pursuits towards more established markets like wearables, such as its AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses.
As part of this restructuring, Meta is discontinuing Horizon managed services, a subscription-based service that facilitates the management of Quest headsets for organizations. Furthermore, the company's decision to close three of its VR studios underscores the growing complexity and uncertainty within the metaverse space.
In essence, Workrooms, launched as an immersive virtual reality environment where teams could collaborate in a novel setting, is no longer deemed necessary with Horizon's capabilities on offer. As users prepare for the app's demise, Meta has set a deadline of February 16, 2026, by which point they will be able to access their data within Workrooms or download it if needed.