- Meta has revealed that it’s launching Horizon Worlds on mobile and web to give more users a glimpse of its virtual 3D world
- The mobile and web versions come with limited experiences
- The mobile version is only available on Meta’s Quest Android app with an iOS rollout marked for the near future
Meta has started giving metaverse lovers a glimpse of its Horizon Worlds project, although the initial experiences come with limited options. The initial rollout will be available to Android users of its Quest app with those on iOS scheduled to wait for a few weeks before exploring the 3D virtual world. Meta said that it plans to make the virtual world “available to everyone,” although the experiences won’t be as real as when using Meta’s Quest virtual reality headset.
Security on Par With ‘Worlds on Quest’
The social media heavyweight said that the rollout of the mobile and web versions is meant to gather feedback from selected users after which it’ll be available to more people. However, Meta has restricted the exploration of the virtual world to persons above 13 years.
According to Meta, Horizon Worlds’ mobile and web versions pack the same security features as those found on “Worlds on Quest,” which aim to protect teens.
In an announcement, the firm said that the metaverse project’s web and mobile versions are compatible with its headset and people using the headset can “invite a friend who doesn’t have a headset to […] to share the fun.”
Metaverse Plans Still On Despite Losses and AI
Meta’s move to create a virtual world wasn’t well received by lawmakers who feared that Horizon Worlds could contribute to teenagers having suicidal thoughts and other “potential harms.” The company has also sustained billions of US dollars in losses pursuing its metaverse ambitions.
Although Meta has also invested heavily in artificial intelligence (AI), its CEO Mark Zuckerberg has maintained that it won’t abandon its metaverse plans.
With other metaverse platforms like Decentraland starting as web versions, it’s to be seen whether Meta’s move will attract more explorers to its virtual world.
