The ambitious dream of a virtual reality empire is rapidly fading at Meta. Just two years after a staggering $400 million acquisition of Within – the developers of the popular fitness app Supernatural – the project is being dismantled, a stark signal of changing priorities within the tech giant.
That initial purchase wasn’t a simple business transaction; it involved a fierce legal battle with the Federal Trade Commission, highlighting just how central Supernatural was to Meta’s vision of the “Metaverse.” The app was intended to be a flagship experience, drawing users into a digital world and showcasing the potential of virtual reality.
But the landscape is shifting dramatically. This week, Meta announced the elimination of 1,500 positions – roughly 10% of its workforce – specifically within Reality Labs, the division responsible for hardware and virtual reality development. These cuts represent a significant retrenchment from the Metaverse focus.
A company spokesperson confirmed the shift, stating that investment is being redirected “from the Metaverse toward Wearables.” This signals a new direction, one that prioritizes more accessible and potentially more practical applications of technology, moving away from fully immersive virtual worlds.
The impact extends beyond Supernatural. Meta is also shuttering three highly respected VR game studios: Armature, renowned for its VR adaptation of *Resident Evil 4*; Sanzaru, the creators of the epic *Asgard’s Wrath*; and Twisted Pixel, the team behind the irreverent *Deadpool VR*.
These studio closures aren’t merely the loss of jobs; they represent the dismantling of some of the most innovative and high-quality VR gaming experiences available. The move underscores a fundamental reassessment of Meta’s strategy, leaving the future of its virtual reality ambitions uncertain.
The abrupt changes raise questions about the long-term viability of large-scale VR projects and the challenges of building a compelling Metaverse. Meta’s pivot suggests that the path to the future may lie not in escaping reality, but in enhancing it with wearable technology.
