Meta has set out plans to meaningfully cut back its metaverse efforts next year, as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg narrows his focus on winning the artificial intelligence race. The cuts would include teams working on Horizon Worlds, its avatar-filled social virtual reality experience, and its Quest virtual reality headsets, according to a person familiar with the discussions. However, that effort has been hampered by technical difficulties, safety concerns and a lack of consumer appetite, prompting some investors to pressure Mr Zuckerberg to curb spending. Mr Zuckerberg began to link the metaverse to his wider AI objectives. Mr Zuckerberg has recently doubled down on his commitment to developing AI-powered wearables, arguing that they will supplant smartphones and are vital to his bet on “superintelligence”.

Source: The Irish Times December 04, 2025 22:57 UTC