Colin Cassidy
Meta Introduces Closed Beta of Horizon Worlds on Smartphones
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has recently launched a closed beta of Horizon Worlds on smartphones, providing users with a glimpse of the highly-anticipated “metaverse” platform. Similar to Rec Room, Horizon Worlds enables users to create their own social games and experiences within a virtual reality (VR) environment. By using controllers to manipulate shapes and a visual scripting system to add dynamic functionality, users can design unique and immersive virtual worlds.
Originally, Mark Zuckerberg had announced that Horizon Worlds would launch on smartphones in 2022. However, Meta’s metaverse Vice President, Vishal Shah, stated in a recent interview that the initial version of the mobile app felt more like a VR game on mobile rather than a mobile-native experience. As a result, Meta decided to rebuild the app to better align with the expectations of smartphone users.
Users interested in trying out Horizon Worlds on mobile can now apply to join the waitlist. It appears that Meta has already started granting access to some users, as evidenced by footage shared by a user named Luna. Luna discovered the access in the Meta Quest app on their Pixel 6a. To access Horizon on Android phones, users can utilize the existing Meta Quest app. Additionally, Meta plans to release an early access web-based version in the near future.
It’s important to note that iPhone users will have to rely on the web-based version of Horizon Worlds due to Apple’s restriction on apps acting as game platforms. This limitation is similar to the rule that prevented Xbox streaming from launching as an iPhone app.
However, both the mobile and web versions of Horizon Worlds may not offer the full experience of accessing arbitrary user-generated worlds. It seems that world creators will need to specifically add support for mobile devices. Super Rumble, a shooter game developed by Meta’s first-party studio Ouro Interactive, is currently the only world available on mobile. Super Rumble utilizes the platform’s upcoming next-generation creator tools, allowing for 3D asset importing and TypeScript integration.
In the leaked internal memo from last year, it was revealed that Meta believed Horizon Worlds had not found its product-market fit. Despite competitors like Rec Room and VRChat consistently ranking in the top 5 most popular Quest apps, Horizon Worlds only managed to secure a place in the top 25. Meta hopes that expanding to mobile and web platforms and improving graphical quality will attract more users and reverse this trend. However, the varying input schemes between VR and smartphones present a significant challenge.
By launching on smartphones, Meta aims to tap into a larger user base and create a more inclusive and accessible metaverse experience. With the competition already offering similar experiences on smartphones, Meta will need to leverage its unique features and the potential of the Horizon Worlds platform to stand out in the growing metaverse market.
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