The ambitious metaverse effort by Meta has hit a snag, as Horizon Worlds struggles with user retention and recruitment of fresh faces.
In Brief
Meta has significantly reduced its target for active monthly users on Horizon Worlds from an initial goal of 500,000 to just 280,000, yet current figures indicate they are still under the threshold of 200,000.
There’s a trend where many users don’t choose to return to Horizon Worlds after their initial month of gameplay.
The Wall Street Journal emphasizes that Horizon Worlds by Meta has yet to deliver on the ambitious expectations for engaging and keeping a steady stream of users. reported A year after Facebook’s transition to Meta and its heightened focus on the metaverse, the journey has proven to be quite tumultuous.
Currently, Meta's foray into new business avenues is struggling to gain momentum. With an investment exceeding $15 billion in the metaverse, the company's stock has plummeted over 60% within the last year.
Horizon Worlds serves as a free virtual reality game offered by Meta, where users can connect with friends, engage in gaming activities, and participate in events. At present, it is limited to users in the US, Canada, France, and Spain and necessitates the Oculus Quest 2 headset for access.
Meta initially aspired for Horizon Worlds to reach 500,000 monthly active users by the close of 2022, but they’ve recently scaled that ambition back to 280,000. Currently, the platform's MAU sits below the 200,000 mark.
According to Alex Kim, CMO of Sensorium, 'The navigation, visuals, and overall user experience did not live up to expectations. There appears to be a disconnect between Meta's emphasis on scalability—which compromises graphical fidelity—and users' thirst for immersive, high-quality experiences.'
Additionally, a large portion of users who drop by don't tend to return to Horizon Worlds after their first month. More than 90% of the worlds created by users have not seen more than 50 visits in total.
Researchers at Meta suspect several factors are contributing to this user decline. Many users expressed dissatisfaction with Horizon's virtual environments and found it challenging to connect with others. The Quest 2 headset presents another hurdle, priced at $400, with over half of its users abandoning it within six months post-purchase.
Insights shared by Sebastian Menge, co-founder of Fitburn, echoed some of these sentiments in a discussion with Metaverse Post, stating, 'I believe that both the virtual environment and the technology are not yet equipped for widespread metaverse acceptance, and Horizon Worlds notably lacks pathways to mainstream access.'
Menge pointed out that the disappointing performance of Horizon Worlds is somewhat expected given the current state of technology and societal readiness for mass adoption of the metaverse. While Meta stands as a leader in the metaverse movement, it will need to develop more sophisticated real-world applications that draw users into virtual environments for events like concerts or immersive gaming experiences.
On October 25, Meta is set to launch its latest VR headset, the Meta Quest Pro, although it comes with a hefty price tag of $1,500.
Vitalik Buterin, one of the co-founders of Ethereum, commented in August that Meta is... Could the prediction made by this crypto visionary eventually materialize?
Last week, Meta announced the release date Meta will allow Horizon users to trade virtual items going forward. stunned many VR advocates .
Meta has introduced Meta Accounts, a revamped login framework for Horizon Worlds. metaverse would misfire Supported by major players like Ubisoft and Take-Two, Horizon has successfully secured $40 million to advance the development of its NFT-based game, Skyweaver.
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